“Didn't want to embarrass”: Harry Potter’s Miriam Margolyes finally addresses racist remark aimed at Andi Peters

Miriam Margolyes has spoken out after her recent appearance on ITV’s This Morning sparked a racism row involving presenter Andi Peters. The actress said she never meant to embarrass or hurt Peters during their uncomfortable exchange.

The 85-year-old actor appeared on the show to promote her memoir, Miriam’s Full English, and then the conversation simply turned towards Peters’ accent, family background, and skin tone. It was at this moment when the Harry Potter star used an old and offensive term to describe his complexion.

The moment quickly drew attention online, with viewers questioning Margolyes’ choice of words and the way she spoke about Peters’ identity. The controversial part of the interview was later removed from the ITVX recording, but the clip already went viral on social media platforms.

Now, Margolyes has given her side of the story at an event promoting her memoir in Southend. She said:

"I didn't want to embarrass or hurt Andi because he seems very nice."

According to the actress, her interest was in understanding how people see themselves and how they feel about the way others view them. She wasn't trying to offend anyone.

More details below!

Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes explains her comments about Andi Peters

Miriam Margolyes has explained that she had no wish to make Andi Peters feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. Speaking at a book event in Southend, she said she thought he seemed like a nice person and had never met him before the show.

She said her questions came from her interest in people and the way they see themselves. She added:

"I wanted to know what he thought about it because that's what interests me."

Miriam also said she is interested in how people feel about who they are and how they believe others see them. She gave different groups of people as examples while trying to explain that everyone can have their own feelings about identity.

During the discussion, the host summed up her point by asking if she was trying to understand Peters' identity and discuss it with him. Miriam agreed with that explanation.

Miriam Margolyes also spoke about her wider interest in people's lives, saying she is more interested in people's stories and what has shaped them than in fame itself. She linked this idea to her memoir, saying that she welcomes everyone and wants inclusion to be part of the book's message.

A look into Miriam Margolyes' remark that sparked backlash

The controversy started after Miriam Margolyes and Andi Peters discussed his looks and family background on This Morning. The Harry Potter star assumed Peters' father was Black and his mother white, saying:

"Oh, you're a mix, aren't you? You've got a Black daddy and a white mummy."

Peters then corrected her nicely, stating both his parents are Black.

Then the conversation turned to Peters’ lighter skin. Miriam Margolyes used the term "high yalla," which is an old American phrase for a Black person with lighter skin which is now considered racist and outdated.

The conversation quickly turned awkward, with Peters even commenting that the producers looked concerned about where the discussion was going. The section was later cut from the recording on ITVX but clips continued to circulate online.

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