Jamelia I’m hired because I’m black
Dumped Loose Women panellist Jamelia has slammed TV bosses who, she claims, offer work based on the colour of her skin.
The ex- Strictly Come Dancing star said: “I’m sick of being chosen to do things because I’m black. I want to be chosen because I’m great.
“Everyone else gets to see themselves represented in every single manifestation.
“For us, it’s just the silly stereotypes – either the clown or the gangsta.”
The singer turned TV presenter was dropped after three years by Loose Women after comments she made about plus-sized women.
She says she was not sack ed–despite her contract not being renewed last August.
But following a barrage of death threats on social media, Jamelia described her stint on the show as a “baptism of fire”.
Jamelia, 36, said: “It just gave me clarity that something has to be done.
“As much as I enjoyed my time, the best I got was an education about how we’re perceived and how we’re treated and how when I say something, it’ s a very different thing to every other person on the panel saying it.”
The MOBO award winner said bosses hired her to offer a different take on things.
But she told Pride magazine: “It became clear they weren’t interested in my perspective. It was really interesting to see the reactions and the things people said and the way people treated me and how blatant it all was.”