Comedian David Baddiel last week apologised to former footballer Jason Lee for impersonating him by performing in blackface and insulting his dreadlocks back in the late 90s.
And now fellow funny-woman Judi Love has expressed her relief that David, 58, had owned up to the wrongful actions he committed on the former comedy sketch TV show Fantasy Football League.
Writing in her weekly OK! column this week, Loose Women star Judi, 42, said, "I’m happy to hear comedian David Baddiel has issued an apology to former footballer Jason Lee for mocking him on TV in the 90s and insulting his dreadlocked hair.
"I hope by saying sorry, David has been able to heal some of the pain that Jason has carried, and it shows that as a society we are progressing."
Judi added, "Education is always necessary, and reflection brings that into reality.
"David has faced his own anti-Semitic discrimination, sharing his experience through his documentary Jews Don’t Count, so I hope this prompts others to take accountability for their mistakes and learn from them."
While David had previously expressed regret in public in the past, he said sorry to Jason's face while appearing on the footballer's podcast The Absolute Lee Podcast last week, with the exchange also having been captured on David's new Channel 4 documentary.
"Before we say anything else, I've come here to say I'm sorry, Jason. I'm sorry for the sketches that we did on Fantasy Football – me and Frank Skinner in the 1990s – that you were on the end of. I'm sorry for wearing a costume, make-up that was racist.
"I've said I'm sorry in print, I've said I'm sorry on TV, but there's something missing, and I have felt this myself for a long time, which is what we lost sight of in those sketches, the human being at the other end of those sketches, which is you.
"Therefore, I need to come and say it to you as a person. I need to acknowledge your humanity, which is obviously there and obviously we should have known it was there, but somehow we lost sight of it."
Following David's apology, the ex-Nottingham Forrest star, 52, tweeted, "It’s been 25 years since Baddiel and Skinner’s Fantasy Football League included sketches impersonating me in blackface. Yes, the sketches were racist, culturally offensive, and bullying. @Baddiel rightfully accepts this now."
He continued: "I often see in the press and online ‘David’s apologised publicly, in writing & in interviews.’ While that may be so, I don’t consider any of those previous instances an apology to me. The apology came recently when David came to meet me personally and apologised directly.
"While the conversation between David and myself was challenging for us both in different ways, I respect that David finally found the courage to come and speak to me after all these years.
"Although I do hold him responsible as the person who directly blackfaced, there was also a team of people around him who thought the sketches were ok and who have avoided having to accept responsibility for the part they played."
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