Bridgerton star’s coronation remark is Ofcom's most complained about moment of 2023

Adjoa Andoh has said she did not mean to cause offence with her remark on the ethnic makeup of the Buckingham Palace balcony after the King's coronation. Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

A televised comment by Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh about the Buckingham Palace balcony being “terribly white” has become the most complained about moment of 2023 so far, Ofcom has said.

More than 4,000 complaints have been filed about the remark, which was made when the 60-year-old actress appeared on ITV’s live coverage of the coronation celebrations.

Andoh, who plays Lady Agatha Danbury in the Netflix show, said: “Looking at all those young people, there is a bit of me that has gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to the terribly white balcony. I’m very struck by that.”

The actress, born in Clifton, Bristol, later appeared on BBC Radio 4 to clarify what she meant.

Ofcom decided no further action would be taken against Adjoa Andoh following her comments. Credit: PA

She also apologised for remarking on the moment Charles and Camilla appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to wave at the public with their family.

Acknowledging the backlash she received after appearing as a guest pundit, Andoh told radio host Paddy O’Connell on Sunday: “I think I upset a few people yesterday.

“I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly went, ‘Oh, it’s so white’ because the day had been so, so mixed and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”

Speaking to The Guardian, Andoh also stated that she would “continue to celebrate the King” during “an exciting moment in our history”.

The Buckingham Palace balcony on the day of the King's coronation. Credit: PA

On Wednesday, UK regulator Ofcom said the comment received 4,165 complaints, making it the most complained about moment of the year.

In comparison, Jeremy Vine's Channel 5 show was hit with 2,250 complaints after a discussion about junior doctors' pay disputes.

In third place was Capital Radio DJ Ant Payne's joke about earthquake-hit Turkey - which gained 1,430 complaints.

While on-air on Monday 13 February, Payne said it was "the best time" to start looking for "cheap flights" to the country.

By comparison, the most complained about programme in 2022 was Love Island which received 2,360 complaints on 17 July after alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa. 

At the time, a spokesperson said: “We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules before deciding whether or not to investigate.”

The King’s coronation service at Westminster Abbey was watched by 18.8 million viewers in the UK across 11 channels and services, according to overnight ratings released by the research organisation Barb.

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