"Bridgerton" star Adjoa Andoh sparked outrage when she referred to the royal family as "terribly white" during live coverage of the coronation.
The 60-year-old actor, who plays Lady Agatha Danbury in the Netflix show, made the remark while working as a guest commentator for ITV's live coverage of Saturday's crowning of King Charles III.
As the royals stood waving on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, Andoh said, "Looking at all those young people, there is a bit of me that has gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to the terribly white balcony. I'm very struck by that," according to the Daily Mail.
"I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking, What are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?" she added.
The New York Post, citing U.K. regulator Ofcom, confirmed Thursday that there had already been over 4,165 complaints about her remarks, making it the most complained about moment of 2023 in the U.K.
A spokesperson said Ofcom was still "assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules before deciding whether or not to investigate."
Andoh later appeared on BBC Radio 4 to clarify her remarks.
"I think I upset a few people yesterday," she said, according to the Daily Mail. "I was talking about the day and how marvelous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going: 'Oh, it's so white!' because the day had been so mixed and I didn't mean to upset anybody."
Speaking with The Guardian, Andoh said she had "no intention to upset anyone" with her comments.
"I continue to celebrate the king who created the Prince's Trust, loves the arts, cares for all faiths and for the future of our environment, as he has done for many decades. It's an exciting moment in our history," she said.
Based on the number of complaints, the controversial moment far exceeds the previously most complained-about TV moment last year, when 2,630 viewers spoke out against bullying and misogyny on "Love Island."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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