UK media regulator Ofcom has ruled out an investigation into ITV’s coverage of King Charles III’s Coronation after a record number of complaints about comments made by Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh.
Ofcom received 8,372 messages from disgruntled viewers after Andoh accused the royal family of being “terribly white” as they took to the Buckingham Palace balcony to mark the crowning of King Charles last month.
“We’ve gone from the rich diversity of the [Westminster] Abbey to a terribly white balcony. I’m very struck by that,” she told ITV hosts Julie Etchingham and Tom Bradby.
In what was comfortably the most complained about moment on British TV this year, viewers said they found the comments offensive and said they amounted to racial discrimination.
Ofcom has decided, however, that no further action is necessary as the regulator continues to emphasize the importance of freedom of expression on UK television.
Reflecting on her remarks the day after the Coronation, Andoh told BBC Radio 4 that she did not intend to offend viewers.
“I think I upset a few people yesterday,” she said. “I was talking about the day and how marvelous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going, ‘Oh it’s so white,’ because the day had been so mixed and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”
Andoh plays Lady Danbury in Bridgerton and also features in the prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Separately, Ofcom ruled out an investigation into Channel 4’s Naked Education after receiving 1,412 complaints from viewers who were concerned about the show parading nude adults in front of young teenagers.
Presented by Anna Richardson, the show depicted full-frontal nudity before the 9PM watershed, a threshold in the UK that protects young viewers from potentially harmful content.
Ian Katz, Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer, said Naked Education‘s ambition to confront body image anxiety was “valuable public service broadcasting.”