UK Big Brother lands in the centre of another race row
3 Sep 2008, 1742 Hrs

Add comment          Mail          Print          Write to Editor

 

London, Sept 3 (ANI): A big row has once more been triggered on the Big Brother show, after English actress Wendy Richard made a racist comment about 30-year-old housemate Kat Kasisopa.

Richard, 65, was on the spin off programme Big Brother's Little Brother, when she stated that all Orientals are the same.

"I was a big fan of Kat, and we would discuss it amongst our friends and they said she is not right," the Mirror quoted her as saying.

"I looked at her through different eyes, and I have to admit they were right and I was wrong.

"She is fake, and she is very cute. What is it they say about these inscrutable Chinese? And she is Thai, but it is all Oriental isn't it? Well it is to me anyway," she said.

When the TV audience gasped in shock, presenter George Lamb stepped in to try and salvage the situation, which could have upset many people.

"I don't think that is unique to Asian people, more to Kat," Lamb stated.

But Conservative-voter Richard just went on with her comments.

"They don't betray their emotions on their face, that is what I meant," she added.

TV watchdogs Ofcom said that it had received a number of complaints about Richard's September 1 rant.

"We will be looking into them in due course," the spokesman said.

Richard's spokesman Kevin Francis has defended the actress' comments as having been misinterpreted.

"Wendy would have not intended the comments that way, she is not racist at all," he said.

"To be very honest with you, I think it has been blown out of all proportion," he added. (ANI)