Axe Scarlett’s racist cringe fest, said Channel 4’s ethnic minority staff... before it was aired
CHANNEL 4 chiefs are facing calls from furious ethnic minori t y staff t o axe a reality programme in which a star of their hit show Gogglebox lives alongside a group of cattle-herders in an African village.
Black and other minority C4 staff were said to have been horrified when they heard that head of factual entertainment Alf Lawrie had commissioned the four-part series The British Tribe Next Door, presented by Scarlett Moffatt and described as a ‘racist cringe-fest’ by one television critic.
A special in-house screening was organised before the first episode was broadcast to the public last Tuesday, with the aim of quelling fears that the show might cause offence. But afterwards, several employees are said to have raised concerns that airing it would be ‘problematic’ with a number even calling for the series to be ditched.
However, Channel 4 bosses – including Mr Lawrie and director of programmes, Ian Katz – ignored the employees’ pleas and pressed ahead regardless.
Staff are said to be seething that their views were ignored, and are worried about potential damage to the channel’s reputation for serving diverse audiences.
C4 has already been attacked by pressure groups and viewers after the first episode of the series, which sees Miss Moffatt and her family housed in a replica of their County Durham family home, built in the village of Otjeme, Namibia.
Unlike their neighbours, Miss Moffatt and her family have running water, electricity and wardrobes full of clothes. One member of staff at Channel 4 explained that before the in- house screening, employees were becoming increasingly concerned about the programme, adding: ‘It was feared it could become contentious.
‘It was then decided by top executives that they would let minority ethnic staff watch it to gain some feedback. Many went to see it and were horrified.
‘Some were shocked and felt it was both insensitive and insulting but the bosses weren’t interested. There’s certainly anger here that their views went unheard.
‘Those people feel very let down now. It’s felt the whole screening was a case of going through the motions. There is a lot of anger.
‘Who knows what criticism this week’s show is going to prompt?’
Last Tuesday’s first episode saw the Moffatt family getting to know their new neighbours – members of the semi-nomadic Himba people. One scene showed members of the tribe reacting with shock at seeing the number of outfits in Scarlett’s wardrobe. In another, her mother Betty takes a Himba woman around the kitchen, showing her how to stack the dishwasher and iron clothes.
Miss Moffatt’s younger sister Ava is also seen using her mobile phone a lot, while her father Mark introduced some of the tribesmen to his favourite hobby, metal detecting.
Campaign group No White Saviours accused Channel 4 of making a mockery of African lifestyles and traditional ways of living, saying: ‘ African people are constantly being painted as primitive, exotic and uncivilised.’
Meanwhile, shocked viewers took to Twitter to share their views. In a message directed at Channel 4 chiefs, one wrote: ‘I hope to God you are paying the tribe in Namibia the same amount of money you paying the Moffatts.’
Another said: ‘ Leave the tribe alone, black people are sick of the white saviour bull****.’
A Channel 4 spokesman confirming the in- house screening had taken place but denied any complaints had been received, adding: ‘ It is completely untrue to suggest that any employees at, or after, the screening asked the channel to think again about airing the programme.’
As well as being a former Gogglebox regular, Miss Moffatt, who won I’m A Celebrity in 2016, has starred alongside Ant and Dec on their ITV show, Saturday Night Takeaway.