The university lecturer who Laurence Fox accused of being racist on Question Time has thanked supporters, adding: "Having conversations with ill informed privileged people isn’t easy."
Rachel Boyle had a heated exchanged with the actor on the BBC show during a discussion about the press coverage surrounding the Duchess of Sussex.
Mr Fox accused Ms Boyle of racism when she described him as a "white privileged male". His comments have split opinion but were condemned by a group from the acting union Equity, who called his words “disgraceful playing to the gallery”.
Responding to messages of support on Saturday, Ms Boyle, a race and ethnicity researcher, said: "Thank you for the amazing support that I have received after BBC Question Time.
"This work isn’t easy. Being a Black academic researching race and ethnicity isn’t easy. Having conversations with ill informed privileged people isn’t easy. But THIS is what I came to do."
Discussing Meghan’s treatment by sections of the British press and public, Ms Boyle said: “Let’s be really clear about what this is, let’s call it by its name — it’s racism. She’s a black woman and she has been torn to pieces.”
The Lewis star responded: “It’s not racism. We’re the most tolerant, lovely country in Europe. It’s so easy to just throw your charge of racism at everybody and it’s starting to get boring now.”
The row then heated up as she told him: "What worries me about your comment is is you are a white privileged male."
Rolling his eyes, the Rada graduate, who attended one of the country’s most exclusive private schools, retorted: “I can’t help what I am, I was born like this, it’s an immutable characteristic, so to call me a white privileged male is to be racist — you’re being racist.”
Mr Fox, who was previously married to Billie Piper, continued the furious debate online, later tweeting that he had spoken “truth to nonsense” and citing Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech.
He also said the criticism was "water off a duck's back".
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character,” he quoted.
He captioned the excerpt with his own words, writing: “This is the position I took last night and I live by in life. If you can improve on it, I’m all ears.
“Or you can keep screeching “Racist!” at me and I can carry on having a jolly good giggle at your expense. The tide is turning.”
