Trisha Goddard subjected to even MORE ‘vile abuse’ since Leigh Francis apologised over Bo’ Selecta!

Trisha Goddard has revealed that she’s been subjected to even more ‘vile abuse’ since Leigh Francis apologised over his blackface depiction of her on Bo’ Selecta! 

Earlier this month, comedian Leigh, 47, issued a grovelling apology over and said he was ‘deeply sorry’ over the way he depicted stars including Trisha, Michale Jackson and Craig David in the Channel 4 series.

However, presenter Trisha, 62, revealed on Monday’s Good Morning Britain that Leigh’s apology has resulted in a backlash against her. 

Joining a panel which discussed whether people are losing sight of the Black Lives Matter movement, Trisha explained to hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid how the noughties show affected her.

She said: ‘I don’t mind people joking about me, but it was the big lips the big nose of the character, and a lot of people said “why didn’t you say anything then”, assuming I didn’t.

‘But to those people I would say, would it be ok if someone like Vanessa Feltz, who’s unashamedly and proudly Jewish. If she was famous at the time as well, and still is, if they characterised Vanessa with a big hook nose going around saying ‘oy vey’ and counting money. 

‘Or someone like Gok Wan with Asian eyes working in a Chinese takeaway… they’re all abhorrent. And I didn’t realise until very recently how badly bullied my children were. 

She then went on to discuss the impact of Leigh’s apology this month, admitting that she’s been faced with a barrage of abuse since.

‘Leigh chose to make an apology. And let me just say, since Leigh made that apology I have been subjected to even more abuse.

Piers and Susanna immediately shared their outrage, with Piers saying: ‘That’s absolutely disgusting. It’s so disgusting.’

While Susanna said: ‘Trisha, that’s shocking’ before going on to express her disbelief at that Trisha was targeted. 

Trisha went on to say that people told her: ‘You’ve ruined his career just because you can’t take a joke, and there have been threats.’ 

The former Dancing On Ice star went on to say that though she felt ‘hurt, distaste and disgust’ at Leigh’s action, there were other people that should take responsibility too.

She said: ‘It’s not just down to Leigh, someone commissioned it, the whole thing, I don’t want it to be about Leigh, it’s about systemic racism.’

She went on to praise the Celebrity Juice star for speaking to her daughter amid his portrayal of her mother, adding: ‘Leigh sweetly talked to my daughter Billie for a very long time about his experience, he was horrified what she went through, he said as a father he feels so bad about this.’

Earlier this week Trisha revealed she felt ‘sick’ every time she saw Leigh Francis after the blackface depiction of her on his noughties Channel 4 show Bo’ Selecta!. 

The former chat show host spoke to BBC Newsnight on Thursday about how Leigh’s caricature with ‘the big lips’ were ‘all the things every black child has been bullied about’. 

Trisha revealed she had avoided Leigh for many years at award ceremonies because his blackface impersonation of her was not only painful, but made her two daughters become a target for bullies. 

The Channel 4 series, which aired between 2002 and 2006, featured Francis, 47, portraying a series of celebrities; including Michael Jackson, Craig David and Trisha by wearing face masks to impersonate them. 

Trisha said: ‘I hated it. I have only recently discovered how bullied my children were in Norfolk over the character.   

‘Let me be clear on this, if the parody was just of me, that would have been one thing, but it was the big lips… all the things that every black child has been bullied about.

‘I can laugh at myself, I’ve had people joke about me. But it was the racial over-the-top with the big lips, the big wide hips, the rice and peas.’   

Trisha said the comedian was ‘absolutely horrified’ to learn how her daughters, Madison, 27, and Billie, 30, endured ‘vicious bullying’ from classmates due to the caricature portrayed on the show.   

Trisha added she couldn’t watch the show because she found it too upsetting.  

‘Leigh kind of knew because I know Craig David had an issue with his portrayal, he really did But that’s for Craig to speak to,’ Trisha said.

‘But a couple of times I did bump into Leigh. My daughter reminded me, she was with me once I couldn’t even talk to him I felt so sick.’

Leigh- best known for his alter-ego Keith Lemon- took to Instagram earlier this month amid the Black Lives Matter movement to say he was ‘deeply sorry’ for the way he impersonated stars such as Michael Jackson and Craig David on the show. 

Trisha said: ‘In his defence he had a long telephone conversation with my daughter who told her what she went through. 

‘She told him about the trolling, bullying, the viciousness as a direct result and he was horrified, being a father himself. He was absolutely horrified.’

Following Leigh’s apology, Channel 4 have removed Bo Selecta! from their archives on 40D. 

Trisha has now accepted his apology, while Billie thanked Leigh and said his declaration ‘was 100 per cent the right thing to do’. 

In light of awareness being raised in regards to the Black Lives Matters movement, Leigh tearfully admitted it made him rethink and said he simply ‘didn’t realise how offensive it was back then’.  

In the video, the Celebrity Juice host said: ‘My name’s Leigh Francis. I play a character called Keith Lemon on television. It’s been a weird few days, I’ve sat and thought about things and what I could post to help things.

‘Back in 2002, I did a show called Bo’ Selecta, I portrayed many black people. Back then I didn’t think anything about it, people didn’t say anything- I’m not going to blame other people.

‘I’ve been talking to some people. I didn’t realise how offensive it was back then.

‘I just want to apologise, I just want to say sorry for any upset I caused whether I was Michael Jackson, Craig David, Trisha Goddard, all people I’m a big fan of. I guess we’re all on a learning journey.’

Leigh was among the 25m people who took part in Blackout Tuesday on social media for the Black Lives Matter movement, following the senseless death of George Floyd.

George, 46, an African-American man, died on May 25 after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis. His death has sparked days of demonstrations across the nation over police brutality against African-Americans.