Andi Peters has responded after Miriam Margolyes' comments towards him on This Morning sparked fury among viewers. The Harry Potter actress, 85, prompted an infuriated outcry after she appeared on the ITV show on Thursday and used an offensive term to describe Andi Peters' skin colour. During the incredibly uncomfortable interview, she asked the presenter "what accent would be normal" for him and went on to quiz his ethnicity.
Jeremy Vine's Support
Following the eye-wincing interview, fellow presenter Jeremy Vine reshared the clip and called the moment "seriously nerve-wracking" while also praising how Andi dealt with the situation. The Channel 5 broadcaster wrote: "This is seriously nerve-wracking. No filter. @andipeters dealt with it brilliantly but note at the end – 'they're getting nervous.'"
Andi thanked Jeremy for the support, writing: "Thanks JV. As you know we have to be ready for ANYTHING!!!"
Fan Reactions
Fans responded to Andi Peters' comment, with one writing: "Legendary professional. Handled the situation with such grace." While another commented: "You're wonderful and so polite.! I've actually seen you at WhiteCity House before.. and you have a lovely aura." A third wrote: "I literally cried. So not okay. I am an immigrant and I came to London early 90s. You Mr Peters are one of the people on TV who always brought a sunshine to my life on gloomy days. I learned English by watching you on TV and I still do. I am rooting for you and forever Andi's Team! You handled it with more than grace."
The Interview
In the interview to promote her book, which aired on Thursday's episode, Miriam began dissecting Christine Lampard's Northern Irish accent before turning her attention to her co-host. "What accent would be normal for you? What are you?," she asked the 56-year-old, leaving him baffled. The presenter responded: "This is normal. What am I? I'm me!"
"You're a mix, aren't you? You've got a Black daddy and a white mummy," she said. He explained that both of his parents are Black, jokingly questioning whether his make-up artist had used a "lighter shade than normal".
"I think you're high yella. That's what they call it in America when someone isn't deeply black," she continued, with Andi quipping that he "didn't even know there were shades". The presenter then pointed to his earpiece and revealed that bosses were intervening, explaining that they were "getting nervous".
"There are shades and this is what we have to incorporate," the Harry Potter actress added. "Don't be nervous, we welcome everybody. That's what I want to write about in my book, it's about inclusion."
Fallout
The Merriam-Webster US dictionary defines the term - sometimes spelt high yaller - as a dated and often offensive piece of slang used to describe a black person with a light complexion. ITV bosses have yet to issue a statement over the segment but the offensive footage has been removed from the episode on ITVX. However, the rest of her interview still remains.
Viewers were left reeling over the segment and quickly rushed to social media with one saying the term was "super racist" and many calling for further action to be taken. One person wrote on social media: "That Miriam Margoyles clip is just about the cringiest thing I've ever seen. It's like a scene out of The Office." Another agreed: "I do not accept that it's just her age or character. She uses words and phrases that are totally unacceptable. I hope #thismorning never brings her back on the show."
One posted: "That Miriam Margolyes interview is the most uncomfortable thing to sit through what the hell was she thinking."
