'Terribly white': 'Bridgerton' star's Royal Family remarks won't face investigation
The coronation ceremony of King Charles III on May 6, stands as one of the most significant events of this year. But alongside this historic moment, Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh's remarks about the Royal Family being "terribly white," led to nationwide outrage. Now, the UK media regulator Ofcom has announced that it won't be investigating Andoh's comments. Here's a breakdown of the events.
What exactly happened?
The actor was one of several commentators interviewed by anchors Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham during ITV's broadcast of the coronation on May 6. During the interview, the 60-year-old actor described the customary appearance of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony as "terribly white." "We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony," she further added.
'Terribly white' comment attracted 8,371 complaints to Ofcom
Following Andoh's statement, Ofcom stated that they received 8,371 complaints. The actor later appeared in a program on BBC radio and explained that she hadn't intended to upset viewers. "I was talking about the day and how marvelous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going, 'Oh it's so white!' because the day had been so mixed."
Ofcom confirmed it wouldn't be taking any action
On Monday, after assessing the complaints, Ofcom said in a statement, "We have concluded our assessment of complaints, and can confirm we will not be pursuing these further." The statement further read, "Complainants also objected to the comment made by ITV news presenters. Our decision to not pursue these complaints further also takes into account broadcasters' and guests' right to freedom of expression."
Adnoh's remark was the most complained-about moment of 2023
On May 11, the UK's media regulator confirmed to The Post that it had already received over 4,000 complaints about Adnoh's remarks, making it the most complained-about moment of 2023. Interestingly, this figure surpassed the previous record of 2,630 complaints, which occurred in 2022 when incidents of bullying and misogyny on Love Island were officially denounced, as highlighted by The Telegraph.
