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David Walliams responds to Kim Jong-un Halloween costume backlash

The outfit was branded 'racist' on Twitter 

Jack Shepherd
Friday 03 November 2017 07:27 EDT
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David Walliams dressed as Kim Jong-un for Halloween
David Walliams dressed as Kim Jong-un for Halloween (David Walliams/Twitter)

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David Walliams caused upset earlier this week after dressing up as North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un for Halloween.

The Little Britain star posted a photo of himself in costume, wearing a black suit, wig, and artificial prosthetics that appeared to alter his eyelids and hairline.

Immediately, there was a backlash online, many Tweeters branding the outfit "racist" and accusing him of “yellow-face".

Walliams has since responded to the backlash, posting a fake text message apparently from the North Korean dictator with the caption: “I just got this text”.

"Hi Dave, Loved the Halloween outfit mate! Wet meself laughing,” reads the message. “Don't see what all the fuss is about. Kim x. PS Can't wait to read Bad Dad.”

Walliams' controversy takes place just two weeks after his comedy partner Matt Lucas said that certain aspects of their show Little Britain would be "too offensive" today.

Lucas said it would be "very hard to play characters of other races now... we would definitely approach it very differently”.

He also told the Big Issue that he would do things differently if they made the show again: "We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I'd do now.

"Society has moved on a lot since then and my own views have evolved," he added. "Now I think it's lazy for white people to get a laugh just by playing black characters."

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