Queen Charlotte star Adjoa Andoh responds to backlash over coronation comments
Queen Charlotte star Adjoa Andoh has responded to the backlash surrounding her comments about the coronation. The star, who plays Lady Danbury in the hit Bridgerton franchise, received over 4,000 complaints from Ofcom after quipping that the balcony at Buckingham Palace looked "awfully white".
Speaking about her comments on Paddy O’Connell’s BBC Radio 4 programme, she explained: "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."
Paddy reassured her, saying: "You haven't upset anyone."
While chatting on ITV, Adjoa said: "There is a bit of me, we've gone from the rich diversity of the abbey to a terribly white balcony. I'm also looking at the younger generation thinking, 'What are the nuances that they will inhabit as they grow?'"
Some people took to Twitter to support her, with columnist Ayesha Harazrika writing: "Actress Adjoa Andoh has absolutely nothing to apologise for."
Another person added: "As the woman who was sitting next to Adjoa Andoh and nodding in agreement, I can only nod again. @ayeshahazarika is right and the irony is that those launching racist attacks in supposed defence of King and country instead undermine the man, the monarchy and the UK."
Adjoa also told The Guardian that it was not her "intention to upset anyone" and that she would "continue to celebrate the King," calling the coronation "an exciting moment in our history".
Adjoa is currently starring as Lady Danbury in the Bridgerton franchise, and revealed how her real-life relationship was almost as romantic as the show! Chatting to The Guardian about her partner, Howard, she said: "I had a theatre company called Wild Iris. We had a tiny little office at the centre. One of our directors came in one day to say someone was taking over the bookstore downstairs, and that he was tasty, We went in and there was Howard. He was this very smiley man behind the till in a patch of sunshine."
MORE: Queen Charlotte star Ruth Gemmell's famous ex-husband revealed
READ: Queen Charlotte creator Shonda Rhimes teases another Bridgerton spin-off
Howard revealed that he had already spotted Adjoa before she saw him, saying: "There was a lovely staircase that went up to the offices. I'd seen Adjoa come down those stairs and I lost my head." Aw!
Have you been watching Queen Charlotte? The hit Bridgerton spin-off has gone down very well with fans – but what is it about? The synopsis reads: "Centered on Queen Charlotte's rise to prominence and power, this Bridgerton-verse prequel tells the story of how the young Queen's marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton."
Coronation photos...
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