‘Coronation Street’ Viewers Accuse Soap Of Racism Over Eva Price's 'Kunta Kinte' Comment

'I'm stunned you think it's acceptable to broadcast something so racist.'

Coronation Street’ writers have been accused of racism following Bank Holiday Monday’s episode.

Some viewers took to Twitter when one scene saw character Eva Price describe her hair as resembling ‘Kunta Kinte’.

In the episode, Eva, who is played by Catherine Tyldesley, visits Audrey Robert’s hair salon and tells her: “I have more roots than Kunta Kinte. No idea who that is, by the way, just something my mum used to say.”

Eva Price, played by Catherine Tyldesley.
Eva Price, played by Catherine Tyldesley.
ITV

Kunta Kinte was a character who featured in the novel ‘Roots’ and was based on one of the author’s young ancestors, who was taken from Gambia and sold as a slave in America.

Aaron Moffat-Jackman, a trainee vicar from Old Trafford, told the Manchester Evening News: “What it did was trivialise a horrific traumatic time for many people.

“Particularly at a time when things are ongoing in America, with many black people getting killed by police, by white people. I think it would be very welcome for ITV to apologise.”

Other offended viewers took to Twitter and Facebook to share their views...

@itvcorrie WOW!
"More roots than Kunte Kinte"
I'm actually stunned that you think that is acceptable broadcast something so racist.

— SHILOH (@shilohmusicldn) August 30, 2016

@itvcorrie please explain Eva's racist remark in the salon #roots #KuntaKinte #waiting

— Javan (@javopolis_) August 30, 2016

@itvcorrie why would you allow such a racist comment about Roots and Kunte Kinte? Shame on you.

— Vanessa (@van_essa66) August 30, 2016

Waittt🤔 just caught up on #coronationstreet to hear Eva say she's "got more roots than kunta kinte" wtf how rude & disrespectful!😐

— E✨ (@miss_ebo) August 29, 2016

#CoronationStreet I am not going 2 lie I am very disheartened by the #KuntaKenti remark It will NEVER be ok to make jokes about slavery EVER

— Cherelle Taylor (@CherelleTaylors) August 30, 2016

@ITV Horrified that scriptwriters on #CoronationStreet think it's ok to make 'jokes' about slavery.Who are the gatekeepers?Smh #KuntaKinte

— Sibihan Lawrence (@Sibz2k) August 30, 2016

Yeah Ofcom need to discipline ITV, to think that would be OK to script abysmal #coronationstreet

— Kenny Jones (@MrKayJayJones) August 30, 2016

Yo @ITV So what's up with the cultural insensitivity on #Coronationstreet? "I got more Roots than Kunta Kinte" That's kinda racist...

— Epic Mase RCG (@RedCloudGawd) August 29, 2016

@ITV_CorrieNews @itvcorrie @ITV @Cath_Tyldesley GREAT!! That means even more people heard the racist "more roots than Kunta Kinte" remark 😡

— Michelle R (@Mandlastyle) August 30, 2016

Bosses at the the ITV soap have since apologised to offended viewers, saying: “We apologise if this dialogue has caused offence.”

It has now been confirmed that Ofcom are set to assess whether or not an investigation will be launched after they received almost 300 complaints.

An Ofcom spokesperson told Mirror Online: “Ofcom has received 278 complaints about Coronation Street, which aired on Monday.

“We will assess these complaints before we decide whether to investigate or not.”

We have contacted a ‘Coronation Street’ spokesperson for further comment.

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