BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty has revealed that she first suffered racism at the age of just seven.
As a result, she said that she tried to distance herself from her Asian heritage as a youngster.
Looking back, Naga said the “sense of shame” that she felt was “overwhelming”.
What did Naga Munchetty say about racism?
Naga appears in tonight’s Panorama discussing racism.
Ahead of the show she told the BBC that she has experienced racism – and it first happened when she was just seven years old.
Read more: Naga Munchetty pretends to fall asleep during live radio show
“I have experienced racism. You never forget the first time you hear that painful and distressing word,” she said.
I was seven, when someone I thought was a friend at school, told me we could no longer hang out. They used the P-word, making clear the reason was because of the colour of my skin.
“I was seven, when someone I thought was a friend at school, told me we could no longer hang out. They used the P-word, making clear the reason was because of the colour of my skin.”
Naga added: “The sense of shame was overwhelming. I was told I didn’t belong when up until then I assumed I did. From that moment I knew I was seen as different. That first hurt never goes away.”
What else did BBC Breakfast host Naga say?
Naga added that she knows what it’s like to “hide parts of my whole self”.
She also admitted that she used to “play down” her Asian heritage – and she said this is something that’s “difficult to acknowledge”.
Naga said that she did it to “fit in more easily”.
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The BBC Breakfast host great up in south London and said that her parents also suffered racism at work.
Both were nurses, she revealed, with her dad hailing from Mauritius and her mum from India.
Naga also said she was “paranoid about smelling of the curries” that her mother made while she was at school.
So this @bbcpanorama is on tonight 7pm @bbcone #letstalkaboutrace
Worked with a brilliant team & interviewees.
It’s a difficult, but obviously important conversation to have.
X https://t.co/Y3Fz2MO3C6— Naga Munchetty (@TVNaga01) March 8, 2021
What else has Naga Munchetty said about racism?
Naga previously opened up about her experience of racism after she started fronting BBC Breakfast.
“I’m on telly, I’m in your home, so if you want to criticise me, fine. But I’m not there to be abused. Nobody is there to be abused.
“You don’t abuse someone while they’re doing their job, and you don’t make racist, sexist or bigoted comments, she said.
You can watch Naga’s Panorama programme tonight (March 8) at 7pm on BBC One.
Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and tell us if you’ll be tuning in.