ITV’s Loose Women made history in 2021 when an all-Black female panel fronted the show for the first time.
Newsreader Charlene White led the momentous four-strong episode, which aired during Black History Month, and she was joined by comedian Judi Love, singer Kelle Bryan, and presenter Brenda Edwards.
During the hour-long instalment, the women interviewed Stuart Lawrence, the brother of the late Stephen Lawrence, who was killed in an unprovoked racially motivated attack. They also discussed a range of light-hearted topics, including whether it’s ok to go on holiday with your ex, and Prince William and Kate’s YouTube channel.
The episode, which ended with Brenda singing Whitney Houston’s Greatest Love Of All, went on to win a coveted Royal Television Society Award.
Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, Judi shared that the landmark episode still makes her emotional today.
‘It was unbelievable,’ she says. ‘I thought I felt all the emotions and then you get to the table and we start doing it and the show’s going great, and I’m looking around and I can see myself, Charlene, Brenda, and Kelle, and then you’re like there has never been a show for Black women on.
‘Even in the midst of talking and laughing I keep looking and I’m like okay this is a big thing. We get through it and Brenda’s signing at the end and you’re just like… it stopped and we just… everybody, I cannot tell you.’
After stopping to compose herself, Judi admits: ‘It makes me emotional even now. Everybody, cameramen, production, we were crying and the one thing I remember coming out of production was thinking “I can’t believe this has not been done before”.
‘There was someone there who said, “I’m so sorry, this is unbelievable”.
Judi says it was in that moment that she thought about how many other Black women before her had been denied the beauty of being in entertainment or denied sharing their gift and their talent.
‘I think I took a couple of days off because it was so emotional,’ she tells us. ‘I didn’t expect to be that emotional. I was being sent pictures of little Black girls watching us with their parents. It was a moment and there are more moments coming.’
Reflecting on the harsh reality of why it took Loose Women a staggering 21 years to champion a panel of four Black Women, Judi stresses: ‘The reality is, we weren’t seen.
‘We weren’t seen as a talent or what we could bring.’
Two years later and Judi is confident that Black female representation on the small screen has changed for the better – but there is work to be done.
‘I would just love to see more shows that highlight positivity rather than trauma of the Black experience,’ she says.
Judi recently partnered with Virgin Media O2 for this year’s Get Online Week, to help singletons over 40 swipe right and find romance.
The annual digital inclusion campaign run by charity, Good Things Foundation took place last week and helped communities across the UK brush up on their online skills and become more digitally confident.
The event was inspired after new research by revealed that 7 out of 10 single over 40s haven’t tried online dating, with around half saying that meeting potential partners via the internet is ‘a younger person’s game’.
‘Virgin Media is championing women to be confident enough to say, “you know what, maybe let me step out and watch this campaign video and try and get myself a little bit tech savvy so I can see people”,’ Judi tells us. ‘No one should be invisible, especially online.’
Her tips to boost your online dating profile? ‘Don’t ever over-complicate your profile, choose a photo that makes you stand out, and just be your authentic beautiful self,’ she suggests.
‘That person who could be your companion or your lover could be out there.’
As for Judi’s love life, she confidently tells us if she’s not dating anybody, she’s dating herself.
‘As time goes on and you get older, what I’ve learned is being over 40 is a great age to start dating again because you know yourself a bit more,’ she beams.
‘I tell the people I’m dating to get to the fact. If someone says let’s go for a drink, I say is this a date or are you dating other people? Let’s have a chat, let’s see how we vibe.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Black History Month
October marks Black History Month, which reflects on the achievements, cultures and contributions of Black people in the UK and across the globe, as well as educating others about the diverse history of those from African and Caribbean descent.
For more information about the events and celebrations that are taking place this year, visit the official Black History Month website.
Source: Read Full Article
