David Olusoga, the historian and Celebrity Traitors star, has responded to criticism from "privileged white middle-class people" who argue he should not have accepted an OBE. The British-Nigerian broadcaster, writer, and BAFTA-winning filmmaker was honored by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 for services to history and community integration.
Defending the Honour
In an interview with Radio Times, Olusoga explained that such criticism often underestimates the significance of the award for immigrants. He said: "I’m often told by privileged white middle-class people that it’s a terrible thing for a Black person to accept an OBE, and I think they underestimate what it means. It’s a different thing for somebody who is an immigrant to turn down a national honour than it is for someone who was born here."
Olusoga, who is a Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester, added: "My mother was British, but nationality is patrilineal. When I was first in this country, I was Nigerian. I was naturalised British later in life. I arrived as a little boy from Nigeria, and this country, with a lot of help from my mother, invested in me. Turning an honour down would be a snub. And I don’t want to snub a country that I became a citizen of, and which is my nation."
Overcoming Challenges
The 56-year-old, who grew up on a council estate in Gateshead, credits his greatest achievement as "with the help of my mother getting myself away from that council estate and those expectations of failure." He noted that the schools he attended had no expectation of success, but his mother pushed her children to compensate for the system's shortcomings.
Reflecting on his Celebrity Traitors appearance, Olusoga said it was the only reality show he would have accepted, as it featured genuine household names and offered a chance to spend time with people he had long respected.
