Laurence Fox has hit back at singer Lily Allen after she criticised his comments on BBC Question Time.
The actor has been criticised for his comments on the Duchess of Sussex during a heated row on BBC Question Time.
Responding to a claim from an audience member that the media’s treatment of Meghan amounted to “racism”, Mr Fox responded: “It’s not racism… we’re the most tolerant, lovely country in Europe.
“It’s so easy to throw the charge of racism and it’s really starting to get boring now,” he continued.
READ MORE: Laurence Fox labelled a ‘disgrace’ following BBC Question Time race row
The audience member then described Fox as a “white, privileged male”, to which he responded: “I can’t help what I am, I was born like this, it was an immutable characteristic.
“Let’s be really clear about what this is, let’s call it by its name, it’s racism.”
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) January 16, 2020
“We’re the most tolerant lovely country in Europe, it’s not racism”
This audience member clashes with actor @LozzaFox over the treatment of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/ZwANAlCBbA
“To call me a white privileged male is to be racist.” he claimed.
Singer Lilly Allen wrote on social media: "Sick to death of luvvies like a Lawrence Fox going on TV and forcing their opinions in everybody else, when he'll never have to deal with what normal people have to deal with in his gated community.
"BBC should be ashamed, this is not what we pay our TV licences for."
She added: "Stick to acting mate. Instead of ranting about things you know nothing about."
Hitting back at the comments from Allen, the 41-year-old actor wrote: "Lily Allen is the most stunningist and bravery artist in the whole wide world #stunningandbrave."
Fox was branded "a disgrace" by members of the actors' union Equity with Equity’s minority ethnic members committee described his words on the programme as “disgraceful playing to the gallery” and labelled him a “disgrace to our industry”.
READ MORE: Actor Laurence Fox says sorry for swearing at heckler during play: 'I was very upset about it'
Morning all. Right, super fun as all this has been, I’m going to take a day off from winding up the wonderful wokies. Have a lovely day everyone. Loz x #stunningandbrave
— LAURENCE FOX (@LozzaFox) January 19, 2020
The university lecturer who was accused of being racist by Laurence Fox told The Observer she has bombarded with hate messages via social media.
Rachel Boyle, a researcher on race and ethnicity at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, clashed with Fox during a TV discussion about the press’s treatment of the Duchess of Sussex.
She said that she had received a number of threats on social media.
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