Celebrity Traitors has been hit by a race row after Myha'la claimed 'unconscious racial and cultural bias exists' in the format of the BBC show.
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bias → hit → show
The Industry actress, 30, made her claims while also strenuously defending her co-stars for voting her out - saying: 'I sealed my own fate.'
In scenes which aired last week, suspicions were raised after Faithful Myha'la defended Traitor Richard E. Grant, but then switched allegiance at the last second by voting for the actor, as well as giving him a suspicious wink before he left.
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he → make → wink
The American actress, who was the second player to be banished, posted on Instagram about her experience on the BBC show on Friday and, in a comment underneath, entrepreneur Chantel Sachanna claimed The Traitors is a 'racist show'.
She wrote: 'Unfortunately you were banished because you are BLACK.
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you → banish → comment
Posting a lengthy response, Myha'la said she would have agreed with Sachanna's comments, if not for the fact 'that early in the game there is VERY little to grasp on to, and I gave them… a lot'.
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I → post → lot
Myha'la added: 'I do agree that unconscious racial and cultural bias exists in this game where my authenticity or honesty or the ways in which I choose to express myself look suspicious to people who are unfamiliar with people like me.'
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who → add → me
Celebrity Traitors star Myha'la has claimed that 'unconscious racial and cultural bias exists' in the format of the BBC show but has defended her co-stars for voting her out
She continued: 'I had this fear coming into the game, as I am a BIG fan and also clocked right away how prevalent this is in this game.
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this → claim → game
'And I came in knowing I'd be the only American (apart from Honorary British National Treasure Jerry Hall).'
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I → come → Treasure
She added that she had to defend her co-stars, writing: 'I'm not saying it's right, I'm not saying racism doesn't exist, but I do have to defend my dear friends on this show who in no way consciously put bias on me because of my race.'
Myha'la added: 'That's not a fair or complete assessment of what really happened in my case.
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what → add → case
I do think games like this should allow more conversation around unconscious bias and how, when under pressure, people (society) gravitate towards things they know and understand or subsequently push away from things they don't.
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they → think → things
It's all love, and I REALLY genuinely appreciate your support.'
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I → appreciate → support
The Daily Mail has contacted the BBC for comment.
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Mail → contact → comment
Myha'la, who is best known for her lead role in the BBC drama Industry, was the second player to be banished from the second series of the Celebrity Traitors.
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who → know → Traitors
She fought back tears during the second tense roundtable, as she attempted to defend her name, but it wasn't enough.
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it → fight → name
The star shared a post on Instagram about her experience on the show.
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star → share → show
In a comment Chantel Sachanna claimed: 'Unfortunately you were banished because you are BLACK'
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you → claim → comment
Posting a lengthy response, Myha'la said she would have agreed with Sachanna's comments, if not for the fact that 'I sealed my own' fate in the game
She added though: 'I do agree that unconscious racial and cultural bias exists in this game'
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bias → post → game
She added that she had to defend her co-stars though, writing: 'I'm not saying it's right, I'm not saying racism doesn't exist, but I do have to defend my dear friends'
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I → add → friends
'I have loved getting to know you all; thank you for loving me,' she said to her fellow celebrities.
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she → love → celebrities
'I will say to the Faithfuls I don't think the Traitors are as dumb or as silly or as confused as you think they are.
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they → say → Faithfuls
I think they are a lot smarter.
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they → think → ?
She added in her exit interview: 'I immediately got close to Richard, just because I feel like we're twin flames.
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we → add → Richard
Really, I shouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him, which is ultimately, I think, my demise.'
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I → trust → him
Fans took to X, to share their thoughts on her exit, penning: 'Myha'la deserved better.'
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Myha'la → take → better
'My beautiful princess myha'la banished from traitors ITS NOT FAIR.'
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princess → banish → traitors
Oh Myha'la this cast didn't deserve you, I miss you so much already.
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I → deserve → you
'
'Myha'la literally got targeted for being empathetic.'
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Myha'la → target → ?
Her co-stars also added to the comments, with Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock posting a string of heart emojis as she wrote: 'Don't get me startedddd love you girl!', while Richard shared his love with kiss emojis.
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Richard → add → emojis
Myha'la added: 'That's not a fair or complete assessment of what really happened in my case'
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what → add → case
The 'unconcious bias' discussion has also been fuelled by comparisons with the non-celebrity series of The Traitors, where three of the first Faithfuls eliminated in series four earlier this year were all minority ethnic players.
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three → fuel → series
On Reddit, viewers flocked to a thread titled 'Racial bias?' to lodge their thoughts on the show.
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viewers → flock → show
TV presenter Scarlette Douglas, who appeared on reality show I'm A Celebrity in 2022 before being voted out second, also commented on the 'unconscious bias'.
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I → appear → bias
'I do believe there is [bias]' she told Good Morning Britain at the time.
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she → believe → time
'There is a pattern that we cannot ignore.
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we → be → that
I'm not here to say the whole country is racist but we do have to talk about the fact is that there is an unconscious bias there.
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fact → say → ?
The singer Cat Burns, who was a finalist in the first series of Celebrity Traitors, weighed in too, posting after contestant Ross was banished.
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Ross → weigh → Traitors
'Ross gone now as well????? now i’m MAD.'
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i → go → ?
Cat reached the finale of the first series of the Celebrity version alongside two other non-white celebrities - historian David Osuluga and actor Nick Mohammad.
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Cat → reach → celebrities
Three non-white celebrities - singer Cat Burns, historian David Osuluga and actor Nick Mohammad - made it to the top five of the Celebrity Traitors in December
Research conducted by The Guardian had previously shown evidence of unconscious bias in reality TV, with their report finding that non-white dancers on Strictly Come Dancing were 71 per cent more likely to get voted into the bottom two.
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dancers → make → two
In a piece for The Independent, journalist Micha Frazer-Carroll wrote: 'I don't think that the show or any of its players are consciously discriminating against people of colour or disabled people.
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show → write → colour
Rather, The Traitors is a game of social judgements, and so our socialisation comes into gameplay.
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socialisation → come → gameplay
…and 12 more, not listed.
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