A remark made by Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh during ITV’s coverage of King Charles’ coronation has become the year’s most complained-about TV moment so far.
On Saturday, Adjoa commented that she’d been “very struck” by the disparity between the “rich diversity of the Abbey” and what she described as a “terribly white” scene after the royal family waved to the public from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
“I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking: ‘What are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?’” she said.
Adjoa’s commentary made headlines over the weekend, as well as being widely covered on stations like GB News and TalkTV, and Ofcom has now announced it is their most complained-about TV moment of 2023 so far.
The media regulator said it had received 4,165 complaints about Adjoa’s remarks, which will be assessed before deciding whether to take the matter any further, as is standard Ofcom procedure.
Addressing her comments during an interview on Radio 4 the following morning, Adjoa said: “I think I may have upset a few people yesterday.
“I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going: ‘Oh it’s so white!’ because the day had been so mixed and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”
She also told The Guardian it was not her “intention to upset anyone” and that she would “continue to celebrate the king” during what she referred to as “an exciting moment in our history”.
Adjoa is best known for her performance as Lady Danbury in Bridgerton, a role she reprised earlier this month in the Netflix prequel Queen Charlotte.
Her other recent on-screen credits include Death In Paradise, Silent Witness, Line Of Duty and The Witcher.