Frank Skinner has insisted he’s ‘evolved’ after using offensive language – both racist and homophobic – in his younger years.Â
The Room 101 comedian attributes his behaviour to growing up in the West Midlands in the 1960s and 70s.
He lived on a council estate in Oldbury during a time when economic strife and high unemployment levels led to social unrest across the country.
Skinner, 65, has said that it was normal to use slurs about people’s ethnicity or sexuality where he grew up.
Speaking at the Hay Festival in Wales, he said: ‘I’ll be straight with you now, I grew up in the West Midlands in the ‘60s and ‘70s. I used racist language, I was sexist, I was homophobic.
‘I completely own up to that. I have evolved and that’s a good thing. When I look back, I’m ok with that.’
Skinner believes representation in society has improved and compared how different his outlook was when he was younger to the open-minded nature of his 10-year-old son Buzz, who he shares with partner Cath Mason.
‘My kid, I can learn from him. He’s fine with gender politics, he’s fine with race. He doesn’t even question it. We talk about those things. The future is going to be a lot better,’ he claimed according .
Skinner previously found himself at the centre of controversy when he compared Nottingham Forest footballer Jason Lee’s hair to a pineapple in a sketch on Fantasy Football League in the 1990s.
The comedian addressed his past comments last year, telling the iPaper: ‘I’m happy to keep on apologising because I do know that not everyone’s seen the latest apology. You make statements, and not everyone sees them, they often just fizzle in the air.
‘You’re trying to explain that you made a mistake and that there are things you didn’t understand, but some people want to be able to say, “you’re a terrible person”, and I think there’s a thrill to anger too.’
In 2020, Lee said he was yet to receive an apology from Skinner, telling PA: ‘Baddiel and Skinner: did they realise the impact of what they were saying, how it affected so many people?
‘Especially a hairstyle, you’re talking about ethnicity, a lot of black people would wear dreadlocks and feel deeply offended by someone who’s getting mocked for a similar hairstyle. The implications were far wider, and it wouldn’t happen today.’
Skinner’s joke led to Lee being subjected to abuse at future games, with many making reference to offensive remarks.
