AN AUSTRALIAN NEWS channel has defended one of its anchors after she congratulated a mixed race teen on her fair skin.
Samantha Armytage, host of 7 News’ Sunrise show, was speaking to British twins Lucy and Maria Aylmer, 18-year-olds who were born to a half-Jamaican mother and white father.
When introducing the pair, Armytage describes their differences, before appearing to congratulate Lucy on being white.
Maria has taken after her half-Jamaican mum, with dark skin, brown eyes and curly dark hair but Lucy got her dad’s fair skin, good on her, along with straight red hair and blue eyes.
Which prompted this reaction from her co-host David Koch:
The incident, which occurred last month, only began piquing the interest of the internet in recent days and led to Channel Seven strongly defending their employee.
A spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald that Armytage was actually poking fun at herself.
Regular members of the Sunrise audience or anyone who has seen the clip in full will know that Sam was taking a dig at herself.
“She frequently jokes about the fair skin that runs in her family and how difficult it can be to manage in extreme environments.”
It created a storm online, with Twitter users calling for her to be sacked a petition demanding an apology gaining 4,000 signatures, but Lucy and Maria said they weren’t offended.
Armytage has since apologised, telling the Daily Mail:
“I would be mortified if anyone thought I would say or think anything racist. It’s not in my nature. To anyone who I might have offended, I’m sorry.”
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