Miriam Margolyes, known for her role in Harry Potter, faces backlash for making racist comments about Andi Peters during a live appearance on This Morning. She assumed Peters was biracial, asking, “You’ve got a Black daddy and a white mummy?” Peters corrected her, stating both his parents are Black. Margolyes then referred to him as “high yella,” a dated and derogatory term for light-skinned Black individuals.
While initially responding with humor, Peters noted that show producers were getting uncomfortable. Margolyes continued, insisting they “welcome everybody,” which contrasted sharply with her earlier comments.
This isn’t the first time Margolyes has questioned someone’s racial identity; a similar incident occurred with Egyptian-Australian host Waleed Aly. Margolyes, now 85, portrayed Professor Pomona Sprout in the original Harry Potter films. Her remarks come amid ongoing tensions regarding representation in the franchise, particularly as Harry Potter sees new actors facing racism. Notably, Paapa Essiedu, cast as Severus Snape in an upcoming adaptation, has received death threats due to his role, which Jason Isaacs condemned as outright racism.
