mma Barnett has responded after an actress pulled out of a Girl’s Hour interview after claiming she overheard the host speaking negatively about her off air.
Barnett addressed claims made by Kelechi Okafor earlier at this time suggesting the radio host had been “speaking s*** about me to the producers” earlier than the present went stay.
The south London-based actor had been booked to debate the Me Too motion to mark the one yr anniversary of disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial in New York.
Barnett wrote on Twitter: “Simply earlier than I went on air this morning to current a particular programme about Me Too — pegged to the anniversary of Harvey Weinstein’s courtroom case – it got here to my consideration that certainly one of our company, Kelechi Okafor, had made alleged anti-Semitic remarks.
“I used to be additionally despatched a press report of the transcript of what she had mentioned on her podcast supporting Reggie Yates’s feedback about Jewish male managers and income.
“As Weinstein can also be Jewish and was referenced as a part of this identical podcast, I used to be discussing with my producers the function of this visitor in mild of her allegedly anti-Semitic feedback. Kelechi overheard that chat on our open Zoom hyperlink – with two minutes to airtime.
“I then straight talked to Kelechi in regards to the allegations, standing by my queries, and mentioned she may put her response throughout within the programme. She denied the allegations and hung up, selecting to now not be a part of the programme.
“I stand by my inquiries to my group and to Kelechi. I’d have fortunately hosted her on the programme with a query on this situation.”
In a podcast in 2017, Yates praised upcoming musicians for being managed by “their brethren” reasonably than “some random fats Jewish man from north-west London”. He then stepped down as host of High of the Pops.
The actress, who runs the Kelechnekoff Health studio in Peckham instructing pole dancing and twerking lessons for black ladies, wrote on Twitter that she pulled out of the present final minute “as a result of what I’ve simply needed to witness is totally degrading and vile.”
Posting a video to Instagram, Ms Okafor continued: “I will not be happening Girl’s Hour now. The host did not realise her mic was on as she was speaking s*** about me to the producers.”
The Nigerian-born star added: “The host didn’t realise her mic was on as she was speaking about me earlier than the interview began is all I’m going to say.
“You may have a real concern about one thing you’ve been advised about me and deal with it in a way that’s variety. That wasn’t what occurred.
“Myself and the opposite individuals who can be speaking through the section may hear me being talked about like a d******d.”
The mother-of-one this morning spoke to Hollywood actresses Caitlin Dulany and Rosanna Arquette, each of whom spoke out about Weinstein’s alleged behaviour, in regards to the MeToo motion.
Creator Lionel Shriver, Barrister Gudrun Younger and Finish Violence Towards Ladies Director Sarah Inexperienced had been additionally on the present to debate the “affect and unintended penalties of #MeToo on the felony justice system.”
Talking about being booked for the present, Okafor wrote: “The necessity for me on at this time’s present was to supply steadiness to those wayward ladies considering that the MeToo motion is now not wanted.
“The actual fact is that if you happen to really feel it’s now not wanted to your white center class sensibilities marginalised voices nonetheless want it.
“We haven’t heard from all people concerning the violations they’ve confronted. The originators of the MeToo motion had been Black ladies. From enslaved Black ladies who had been raped by slave homeowners to Tarana Burke but their voices are but to be honoured.”
Ms Inexperienced claimed to have additionally heard “the appalling remedy” of Okafor.
An announcement posted on the charity’s Twitter account mentioned: “I used to be additionally booked for @BBCWomansHour this AM and heard the appalling remedy @kelechnekoff was subjected to minutes b4 broadcast; it was actually unfair after which led to a #MeToo dialogue with no black girl’s voice. Girl’s Hour shd apologise to her and actually should do higher.”
A BBC spokesperson mentioned: ‘Throughout an off-air dialog forward of the programme, Emma Barnett and the manufacturing group talked a couple of visitor’s function within the dialogue and learn how to mirror a number of the visitor’s alleged earlier feedback and the difficulty of anti-Semitism as a part of the Girl’s Hour dialogue on the function of minority voices within the MeToo motion.
“This was additionally raised straight with the visitor earlier than happening air.”
Okafor has been approached for remark.
The top of state – who’s considered a fan of the programme – despatched her good needs to all these concerned within the long-running and common present in a message.
It marked Barnett’s first day on the present.
She advised listeners: “Might I say, as your new presenter of Girl’s Hour, it’s an absolute pleasure to be with you, thanks for having me.
“And I’m significantly trying ahead to attending to know you and doing this collectively, as a result of I can’t do it with out you.”
From 2014 to 2020, Barnett offered the mid-morning weekday programme for BBC Radio 5 Dwell, working on the station after three years working for LBC.