New host of Woman’s Hour in racism row with guest

EMMA BARNETT’S first week eek as host of Woman’s Hour has been marred arred by a racism row after she was overheard questioning whether her a guest was anti-semitic.

Kelechi Okafor was booked ed to appear on the Radio 4 show yesterday to talk about the legacy cy of the Metoo movement.

But as the guests waited to go on air, Barnett began talking to her production team about Okafor without realising she was audible to the others. It is understood that Barnett, right, could be heard berating team members and asking: “Have we booked an anti-semite?”

The reference was to a 2017 podcast in which Okafor expressed support for Reggie Yates, the BBC presenter who apologised for using “offensive stereotypes” about Jewish music managers. Barnett realised she had been overheard and challenged Okafor about the claims. Okafor, a podcast host and s speaker, then declined to appear on the show. On Twitter, she descr described her treatment as “absolutel “absolutely degrading and vile”. Barnett wrote in a statement: “I was discu discussing with my producers the role o of this guest in light of her allegedly anti-semitic comments. “I the then directly talked to Kelechi abo about the allegations, standing by my m queries … She denied the allegations alle and hung up … I stand by my questions to my team a and to Kelechi.”