Wendy Richard didn't mean to be racist on Big Brother

Wednesday, 3 September 2008

EastEnders legend Wendy Richard has denied she is a racist after making an apparently racist comment about Thai housemate Kathreya on Monday's Big Brother's Little Brother.

Wendy was in mid-conversation with host George Lamb talking about her opinions on the remaining housemates when she made the offending remark.

Of Kathreya, she said: "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."

This drew some gasps from the audience before George cut in, saying: "I don't think that is unique to Asian people, more to Kat."

But Wendy continued to dig her hole, adding: "They don't betray their emotions on their face, that is what I meant."

Watch Wendy's comments here:

The 65-year-old actress' comments were edited out of the repeat on E4 1 an hour later, and Channel 4 commented: "'BBLB' does go out live, George Lamb did correct her that her comment was not specific to Asian people but to Kat."

However, broadcasting watchdog Ofcom confirmed they had received a large number of complaints about the comments Wendy made, and would be "looking into" them.

Wendy's spokesman Kevin Francis later issued a statement, saying: "Wendy would have not intended the comments that way, she is not racist at all.

"To be very honest with you, I think it has been blown out of all proportion."

A very upset Wendy also told London radio station LBC: "I’m so upset I’m so close to tears. I feel ill. I can’t believe that such a brouhaha has started up.

"What I was trying to convey is that Kat did not betray her thoughts about what was going on in the house all of the time.

"I have just been told by an American friend that in the US that Oriental is considered offensive and I did not know that.

"I did not mean to cause offence to anyone."

She added: “It’s a long time since I was a school but I was thinking of those Arthur Conan Doyle books with Sherlock Holmes when it was the inscrutable Chinese.

"I’m terribly sorry and I certainly would not want to offend anyone, I’m not that sort of person.

"I just wanted to point out that at times it was very difficult. She (Kat) would sit up in bed and watch everything that was going on. She was very aware of where the cameras were.

"She was in there playing the game like the rest of them.

"My agent rang to say there was a small problem. With live television you have to get your words out and you only have a certain amount of time. It has upset me a lot."

So not so much a malicious racist rant, more a result of a pensioner being out of touch with modern stereotypes.

What do you think? Talk about it in our Big Bro forum >

Image Credit: WENN