Miriam Margolyes breaks silence on Andi Peters backlash after controversial This Morning appearance
Miriam sparked criticism over her appearance on the show last weekMiriam Margolyes has given her first explanation of the race row involving This Morning presenter Andi Peters, saying she never intended to hurt him.
Speaking at a Southend event promoting Miriam’s Full English, her new book, Miriam explained why she raised questions about identity.
Her comments follow the live This Morning exchange last week, where producers intervened as the conversation turned to Andi’s skin colour.
As reported by The Sun, Miriam said: “I didn’t want to embarrass or hurt Andi because he seems very nice.”
She added that they had never met, and said she “didn’t know he was black until I saw him”.
The 85-year-old said curiosity about people’s experiences and feelings had motivated her questions. She also described inclusion as a central theme of her book.
Miriam Margolyes explains her questions to Andi Peters
At the event, Miriam said she wanted Andi’s perspective because feelings about identity interest her.
She argued that everyone carries feelings about their identity and how others perceive them. Miriam framed her interest as broader than celebrity, focusing on people’s stories and what shaped them.
She said: “I am fascinated by other people. They are the people that interest me, not the celebrities so much.”
Her explanation focused on intent, but the exchange had already drawn criticism online.
What happened during Miriam Margolyes and Andi Peters’ interview
The row began when Miriam questioned Andi about his accent during the live daytime interview. She then suggested he had one black parent and one white parent.
Andi corrected her, explaining that both parents are black.
Miriam then said: “Oh, both are black? High yella, that’s what they call it in America when people aren’t deeply black.”
Producers then seemingly intervened off-screen, with Andi signalling twice that they had become nervous.
Miriam told them not to worry and said everyone was welcome. She linked the conversation to her book’s theme of inclusion.
Clips spread on social media, where viewers criticised her wording and the questioning itself. Some described the exchange as uncomfortable viewing.
Andi Peters responds after the This Morning exchange
Andi later responded on X after broadcaster Jeremy Vine praised his handling of the moment.
Andi replied: “Thanks JV. As you know, we have to be ready for ANYTHING!!!”
The interview aired live on ITV’s This Morning on Thursday, September 3, during promotion for Miriam’s Full English.
The disputed section has since been removed from the version available on ITVX. Viewers using the catch-up service therefore cannot watch the full exchange there.
This Morning continues weekdays at 10am on ITV1.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
