Adjoa Andoh’s ‘awfully white’ Coronation comment is Ofcom’s most complained-about moment of 2023
‘Bridgerton’ and ‘Queen Charlotte’ actor commented on the appearance of the royal balcony during Saturday’s coronation ceremony
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Adjoa Andoh’s remark about the royal family balcony after King Charles’s coronation is the most complained about broadcast moment of 2023.
The actor, who plays Lady Danbury on Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte, appeared as part of ITV’s coronation coverage on Saturday (6 May).
Speaking to presenters Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham, Andoh commented that the balcony at Buckingham Palace looked “awfully white”.
“We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony,” she said, comparing the King and Queen’s close family moment to the main ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
On Wednesday (10 May), the UK’s broadcasting regulator Ofcom announced that the comment received 4,165 complaints, making it the most complained about moment of the year.
A spokesperson said: “We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules before deciding whether or not to investigate.”
Soon after Andoh, 60, made the comment, some viewers on social media shared their upset with her words.
Others sided with the Netflix star, claiming that she was merely making an observation about the royal family’s closest quarters.
The following day, Andoh addressed the debate that her words had caused on Paddy O’Connell’s BBC Radio 4 programme.
“I think I may have upset a few people yesterday,” she began.
“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.”
To The Guardian, Andoh also stated that she would “continue to celebrate the King” during “an exciting moment in our history”.
In an interview with The Independent, Andoh shared some of her insights of growing up as part of a family of colour in the Cotswolds in the Sixties and Seventies.