Miriam Margolyes, 82, sparks uproar as she quizzes TV host on his skin colour in Israel-Palestine debate

Miriam Margolyes, 82, sparks uproar as she quizzes TV host on his skin colour in Israel-Palestine debate

WATCH HERE: Miriam Margolyes asks The Project hosts about his skin colour

Olivia Gantzer

By Olivia Gantzer


Published: 21/03/2024

- 14:28

The famously outspoken star had the audience shocked with her personal question

Miriam Margolyes has sparked outrage with her latest unfiltered commentary, this time after questioning an Australian TV host about the colour of his skin before going on to discuss the conflict in Gaza.

The 82-year-old actress is known for making controversial or outlandish statements on air and is often called out for swearing during daytime interviews, but her recent appearance on The Project took an uncomfortable turn.


Promoting her latest project, Impossibly Australian, the actress once again voiced every thought she had without hesitation.

The panel began to talk about the conflict in Gaza, and Margolyes, who is Jewish, called for a ceasefire.

“Ceasefire now,” she stated as the crowd applauded her take on the divisive issue. Continuing, she voiced: “Whether you’re Black or white, it doesn’t matter.”

Turning to host Waleed Aly, she casually asked: “What are you by the way? You’re sort of brown.”

Waleed Aly and Miriam Margoyles

Margoyles also called for a ceasefire in Gaza

Network 10

Aly laughed along with the audience, while some looked taken aback by the question.

“I didn’t see it going this way,” Aly’s co-host Georgie Tunny interjected while Aly remained bent over in hysterics.

After composing himself, he replied: “This is a really interesting question actually, I’ve thought about this a lot. I’m not joking about that… I’m Egyptian.”

“Oh, really?” Margolyes responded as Aly explained: “Which is in Africa. So, what do you want to call that?”

Miriam Margoyles

The actress is known for saying controversial things during interviews

Getty

“Well, lucky, I think,” the Harry Potter star replied, adding: “Because I like the Egyptian people."

Voicing her opinion on the conflict, she continued: "I’m on the side of the Palestinians. I have to tell you that now.

“Being Jewish, we always have to say what we are. Are we for Israel or are we against Israel?

“I’m only for humanity. Ceasefire.” The audience once again clapped at her political statement before the hosts began to conclude the segment.

Her remarks sparked a strong response online, with some left furious. Taking to X, one wrote: "Such an ignorant unintelligent woman who is a nonentity seeking virtue with jejune pithy & simplistic rhetoric in a vulgar display of vanity."

"If she was visiting a friend on Oct7th she might be dead or a hostage today.... she's an abomination go back to England, why did she leave?" another fumed.

Miriam Margoyles

Miriam stunned the audience after quzzing Waleed about his skin colour

ITV

"Yes have some humanity for the remaining hostages in their 167th day of captivity...nice to see you lot laughing," someone else added.

"Oh well, now that she's called for it on the project I expect the war will end any single day now," someone else stated sarcastically.

However, others expressed their admiration for the actress, with one adding: "I. Love. This. Woman!" while another penned: "Gotta love her!" (sic)

Margolyes only recently sparked a different backlash when she infuriated Harry Potter fans by claiming the popular franchise was "for children" and said adults "should be over it".

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