22 June 2020

Trisha Goddard reveals she used to ‘cover her face in talcum powder to pretend to be white’ as a child

TV presenter Trisha Goddard broke down in tears after revealing she used to cover herself in talcum powder to ‘pretend to be white’ as a child.

She was speaking on Good Morning Britain about the systemic racism she grew up with and how it had impacted her.

She said: “When I was young I used to get talcum powder and mix it with water and put it on my face to pretend to be white.”

Marking Windrush Day, she also spoke about the generation her parents were a part of.

She spoke about how people who come from that generation are sometimes labelled as not British.

She said: "I’ve heard that so many times, mum always worked double shifts, both my mum and my dad did.

"Both my parents worked two jobs to put me and my sisters through school. I miss her, just talking about her makes me very emotional.

“In some way I’m glad that she isn't here to see what’s going on and tell her the racial abuse I’ve received.”

She then called for a change to the education system and said part of the reason racism exists in the UK is the way history is taught.

"I think I have my mum's log when she came over and she was 26, you had such skilled people working in transport and nurses like my mum.

"One of the problems I think, and there’s been a lot of talk of systemic racism, I don’t think we teach history in the way we should.

"People from all over the commonwealth who came to the UK at the time it took six weeks to travel, she couldn't be there when her gran died, and she couldn't go back until I could get her a ticket when I was in my 20s.

"They gave up their lives for a new life to help Britain so this Windrush scandal is a real kick in the teeth."

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