Eamonn Holmes and Dr Zoe Williams on ‘This Morning'
(Picture: ITV)First of all - what a headline. Secondly... ?!?!
But yes, this is what is happening and we are just doomed to tell you. This Morning host Eamonn Holmes has well and truly put his foot in it by comparing the show’s doctor’s hair to that of an alpaca’s.
Dr Zoe Williams, a TV doctor, was on the show to discuss the latest health headlines. She said she would be talking about “how your health can be benefited from gardening and even alpacas”, prompting Holmes to reply, for some reason:
“Your hair reminds me of an alpaca’s today.
“You just want to pet it, don’t you? It’s very alpacaish.”
Williams laughed uncomfortably and said “don’t touch my hair!” as Holmes’ wife and co-host, Ruth Langsford shifted in her seat and tried to end the conversation.
Reacting to his gaffe, people were outraged and told him he was committing a microaggression towards black people.
Let’s stop picking apart how she reacted and instead focus on the horribly racist comment that was made.
— Allison McKenzie (@allymacmusic) August 12, 2021
I’m not a woman of colour but I am a woman (of a certain age) and I can confirm putting up with throwaway lines like this from men most of my life. We’ve been conditioned to laugh it off. I’d hoped with the rise of the #MeToo movement, this would end. Clearly not.
— Heather (not cowering, just cautious) (@HeathertheHeron) August 12, 2021
Why is Eamonn Holmes still even on tv? Isn’t he past his sell by date by now? Imagine telling a black woman her hair looks like an alpaca? The disrespect 🙄 pic.twitter.com/tFx5QRgBT6
— BtVS (@AngelicSlayer18) August 12, 2021
What is it with people in positions of privilege stating that POC have features similar to those of animals? Eamonn Holmes saying Zoe Williams hair "reminds him of an alpaca" is unacceptable. Apologise, learn, reflect. These microaggressions have to be challenged.
— Shuaib. (@ShuaibKhan26) August 12, 2021
This is what Black people have to experience, here we have Eamonn Holmes comparing a Black Woman’s hair to an Alpaca, she can’t even defend herself without being tossed into the negative “Angry Black Woman” stereotype, if roles were reversed, she’d be labelled as a “bully”🙄 https://t.co/vnGpGufobp
— Joell (@Cjoeytami) August 12, 2021
So, Holmes apologised, kind of:
Hey everyone out there. if my attempt at being humorous with my friend @DrZoeWilliams was misjudged I am mortified and humbly apologise to anyone who was offended.
— Eamonn Holmes (@EamonnHolmes) August 12, 2021
But people were unsatisfied.
Making jokes about a black woman’s hair is never being “humorous” especially when comparing it to an animal. Eamonn I appreciate you felt this was in good humour, but please do better.
— Demerara Slimmer (@ElDoradoSlimmer) August 12, 2021
That’s a non-apology. Who do you think you’re fooling? Try again and take some time to reflect. Maybe since apologizing is such a challenge, you should become racially literate, understand racist offenses and commit to learning about micro-aggressions and your unearned privilege.
— Soleil (@stardust_lune) August 12, 2021
No excuses, with your silly comment, you just open the doors of racism even further.
— Lucinha carvalho 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷 (@MomentoPretinha) August 12, 2021
Eamonn, aside from anything else it was completely unnecessary and inappropriate. I am a white woman with flat grey hair. Would you comment on my hair?? Guessing the answer is no.
— Anne Marchant (@anne_marchant) August 12, 2021
It is not the first time the host has embroiled himself in controversy.
In 2019, Holmes called Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, “uppity” leading a viewer to make a complaint to Ofcom – saying that the word has racist origins, and was used in the US in the 19th Century to refer to Black people who “didn’t know their place”.
Meanwhile, in April 2020, Holmes was criticised by viewers and scientists when he appeared to defend a conspiracy theory which suggested that 5G was responsible for the coronavirus pandemic.
The following day, he read out a statement live on air, insisting: “It is not true that there is a connection between the present national health emergency and 5G and to suggest otherwise would be wrong and indeed it could be possibly dangerous.
“Every theory relating to such a connection has been proven to be false and we would like to emphasise that.”
