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Meghan Markle fans are outraged with the BBC over an animated show that portrayed the Duchess of Sussex as a ‘trailer trash’ American who wants to kill Kate Middleton.
The spoof comedy “Tonight with Vladimir Putin,” which airs on BBC Two, has already drawn huge criticism from viewers, Daily Mail reports.
The outlet notes that one segment titled “Meghan Markle’s Royal Sparkle” sees a darker skinned version of the newest member of the royal family take questions from the studio audience in order to “get to know you, the United British of Kingdom people.”
Markle is depicted as having violent rage towards her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge.
“What makes you angry?” an audience member asks Markle, who is voiced by actress/writer Gbemisola Ikunelo.
She replies by ranting about how Kate asked to borrow her hairbrush.
https://twitter.com/Connie19901/status/1142522433615908866
“I say no because that’s gross and then I leave my room and come back and I can tell she’s used my hairbrush anyway because it’s covered in skanky hair that’s going grey and I say, “Stay the f— out of my trailer or I’ll cut you, Kate”,” she shouts back according to the Sun.
Meghan’s relationship with her father Thomas Markle is also mocked on the show, the report states.
Ikunelo has defended her portrayal of Markle, telling the Telegraph that she wrote the skit to reflect the opposite of the “incredibly agreeable and friendly” Meghan.
“I was interested in finding humor in the ridiculous… What if somebody who seems super lovely in public actually has a really mean streak? What would that look like?,” she explained.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Viewers will clearly recognize this performance as a spoof and highly satirical, within the context of a program which lampoons a wide range of public figures and the public’s perception of them.”
Reaction to Meghan being classified as a ‘trailer trash’ American has been heavily criticized on social media.
Twitter user Anita Singh said: “This genuinely might be the worst thing the BBC has ever put on TV. Apart from the baffling decision to include the Meghan Markle stuff, it is less funny than Mrs Brown’s Boys.”
Georgia-Lee Cleland wrote: “@BBC so darker skin equals trash? Even though it’s the white side of her family that exemplify “trailer trash” narrative.”
Ronald James Wallace slammed the BBC, calling for the license fee to be scrapped.
“Yet more evidence of the poor standards we have to put up with from the BBC. The sooner the licence fee is scrapped and they have to raise their own funds the better!,” he said.
“The @RoyalFamily would NEVER allow a comedy show with Kate as the baddie who threatens to knife another royal but yet they are cool with the @BBC show about Meghan portraying the stereotypes that white people have for black women like aggressive & intimidating,” wrote Connie_1990.
