London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

BBC diversity chief complains Idris Elba’s TV detective isn’t ‘black enough to be real’, leaves online commentator baffled

BBC diversity chief complains Idris Elba’s TV detective isn’t ‘black enough to be real’, leaves online commentator baffled

The person tasked with ensuring diversity at the BBC has been accused of harboring narrow-minded views about race after reportedly dismissing a TV character played by actor Idris Elba for not being sufficiently ‘black’.

Commenting on the crime drama ‘Luther’, Miranda Wayland hailed the program for featuring a “really strong, black character lead,” portrayed by Elba, but lamented that the fictional detective lacked authenticity.

“We all fell in love with him. Who didn’t, right? But after you got into about the second series you got kind of like, OK, he doesn’t have any black friends, he doesn’t eat any Caribbean food, this doesn’t feel authentic,” the BBC official said at a recent conference, as reported by the Times. According to Wayland, black characters should be placed in environments and have traits that are reflective of their background. She ultimately concluded that Elba’s character “isn’t black enough to be real.”

Her theories on the subject seem to clash with the writing philosophy of ‘Luther’ creator Neil Cross. Cross, who is white, signaled in an earlier interview that race was not a driving factor when Elba had been picked as the lead and that he had “no knowledge or expertise or right to try to tackle in some way the experience of being a black man in modern Britain.” He added that trying to make the fictional detective ‘more black’ would have resulted in an “ignorant, middle-class, white writer’s idea of a black character.”

The BBC, which produced the award-winning series, released a statement in which it reaffirmed its commitment to “continued investment in diversity.”

Wayland, whose official title is ‘Head of Creative Diversity’, works to assist the BBC with increasing on-air diversity. After accepting the position last February, she said that she was excited for the opportunity to ensure “the diverse voices and talents within our industry are included and better reflected across our outputs and productions.”

Judging by reactions on social media, it seems many feel that she may be the wrong woman for the job.

Numerous comments accused her of dabbling in identity politics and “forcing black people to conform to stereotypes.”


Others shared personal stories and anecdotes about why it was presumptuous to assume that skin color dictates food tastes or what kind of friends you have.


One fan of the show wondered why there was even a discussion about how ‘black’ Luther is.

“Why does it have to be black enough? Why can’t it just be good enough?” they asked.

Predictably, Wayland’s remarks also led to calls for withholding cash from the publicly-funded broadcaster, with #DefundtheBBC hashtags appearing on Twitter.


Critics have accused the BBC of engaging in social justice crusades in the past. In December, the BBC’s Vicar of Dibley featured its lead character giving a speech in support of Black Lives Matter.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×