Ousted Celebrity Traitors star Myha'la has said she believes an "unconscious racial and cultural bias exists" in the BBC gameshow, while defending her fellow contestants against claims of deliberate prejudice.
The Industry actress was the second contestant eliminated from the Scottish castle in the latest series. She denied her exit was due to racism but acknowledged the issue is present in the game.
Exit and Fan Reaction
The first two names to leave the Celebrity Traitors series were Amol Rajan and Myha'la. The Faithfuls became suspicious of Myha'la after she winked at banished Traitor Richard E Grant before voting for him at the round table, a move that led to her downfall.
Following her exit, a fan commented on Instagram: "You, my love, were banished because you are black."
Myha'la responded: "I understand why you feel this way, and I may have agreed with you had I not winked at Richard effectively aligning myself with a known traitor, found and concealed then seemingly reluctantly revealed I had a shield, or (what you really don’t see much of) expressed my thoughts and feelings openly to literally everyone (which many people who get out early in this game do)."
Bias in the Game
The 30-year-old acknowledged potential prejudices: "I do agree that unconscious racial and cultural bias exists in this game where my authenticity or honesty or the ways in which I choose to express myself look suspicious to people who are unfamiliar with people like me."
She added: "I had this fear coming into the game, as I am a BIG fan and also clocked right away how prevalent this is in this game. And I came in knowing I’d be the only American (apart from Honorary British National Treasure Jerry Hall)."
However, Myha'la believes she was her own worst enemy this series: "I’m not saying it’s right, I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist, but I do have to defend my dear friends on this show who in no way consciously put bias on me because of my race. That’s not a fair or complete assessment of what really happened in my case."
Wider Context
She added: "And! I do think games like this should allow more conversation around unconscious bias and how, when under pressure, people (society) gravitate towards things they know and understand or subsequently push away from things they don’t. It’s all love, and I REALLY genuinely appreciate your support."
Unconscious bias accusations have been made on numerous reality TV shows over the years. A Guardian report found that non-white dancers on Strictly Come Dancing were 71 per cent more likely to be voted into the bottom two. The Daily Star has contacted the BBC for comment.
