Konnie: I was Blue Peter ‘token Asian’ but it helped a generation
FORMER Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq has said that being seen as the ‘token’ Asian woman on children’s TV paved the way for more non-white personalities.
The much-loved star was born to Bangladeshi parents and was the first Asian presenter on the CBBC show.
She is the longest-serving female host, surpassing Valerie Singleton with an 11year stint from 1997 to 2008. She joined the show seven years after Diane-Louise Jordan became the first non-white presenter.
Miss Huq, 44, described Blue Peter as being ‘woke before woke’.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said: ‘I still have now people in their 20s or 30s going “I never saw Asians in that role or even black people”. You end up going through a thing where people may get called “token” but you have to have people doing it first for it to become the norm.’
She added: ‘Younger generations won’t notice colour. They’re not fussed. It’s not a big deal.’ Miss Huq, who has sons Covey, eight, and Huxley, six, with TV critic husband Charlie Brooker, said changing attitudes is about stopping people from ‘feeling embarrassed to pave the way’ in a world where there is ‘so much judgment that we feel scared to be ourselves’.
The presenter-turned-children’s author describes herself as ‘anti-consumerist’ and recently revealed she hasn’t bought new clothes in a decade. She said she wants to end the ‘snobbery’ around the make do and mend approach.
She said: ‘If there is a hole in something I will just sew it up. The more people do that the less snobbery there is. All things need is to be cool and people will do it.’
Miss Huq has just launched the Recycle Your Electricals ‘Little Spring Clean’ campaign, calling on the nation to recycle their unused electricals. To find out more and to get involved with the campaign, go to www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk.