By Nnenna Ibeh
A live interview on a United Kingdom television network, TalkTV took an unprecedented turn when a presenter, Andre Walker, was engaged in a heated exchange with popular Tiktoker Mizzy, leading to a racism debate that has ignited social media.
The interview, intended to showcase Mizzy's - whose real name is Bacari-Bronze O'Garro - rise to fame, and its impact on social media quickly spiralled into an unbelievable controversy.
The Independent reports that Mizzy was on the show to discuss his pranks, such as walking into strangers' homes uninvited, which have gone viral in recent weeks.
However, the presenter's questioning had taken a confrontational turn, focusing on Mizzy's ethnicity and cultural background. Insensitive remarks were made, implying that the Tiktoker's success was solely due to their race rather than their talent and hard work.
Known for his outspoken nature, Mizzy called out the presenter's offensive remarks on the live interview, sparking a widespread debate on social media platforms, with viewers expressing their outrage at the presenter's behaviour.
The hashtag #RacismDebate quickly gained traction as users shared their thoughts on the underlying racial biases and stereotypes perpetuated in media interviews.
Industry professionals and organizations dedicated to combating racism have also weighed in, emphasizing the importance of respectful and inclusive representation in the media.
While raising his concerns, Funk Butcher, a broadcaster, says Black boys are being perceived as threatening in non-verbal situations, as in the incident with Mizzy during the interview.
Butcher suggests that a Black kid's assertiveness is seen as an attitude as "Mizzy was of course supposed to look at his feet apologetically."
As the controversy continues, Mizzy has garnered immense support from his fans and the wider community while some other have commended Walker for walking the Tiktoker out of his show.