Latest news with #DavidOlusoga
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Historian and presenter David Olusoga says racist or offensive language should not be removed from classic books or TV shows - and young people should instead 'toughen up'
Historian David Olusoga has said racist or offensive language should not be removed from classic books or TV shows and that young people should just 'toughen up'. The presenter acknowledged he's from an older generation than the one used to trigger warnings. He also said he understands that it can be helpful to know ahead of time if a book has certain stories or words that might be upsetting. However, the British-Nigerian writer said he thought it was more useful to confront the language of the past than to censor it. Olusoga recently took part in a documentary about the BBC 's Black and White Minstrel Show, a program that aired until the late 1970s and featured white performers in blackface. Last year, novelist Anthony Horowitz said he wouldn't accept being told what to do following the rewritting of following the rewriting of Roald Dahl 's books to remove 'offensive' language. Olusoga explained to grasp how that entertainment spread racism and stereotypes, he believes it's necessary to confront the offensive language directly as he believes it's the only way to truly understand its harmful impact. He told the Hay Festival: 'I think we need to be tougher. Our ancestors had those words shouted at them; we just have to read them in a book. He added that he is tolerant of people who prefer removing words instead of providing warnings, the Telegraph reports. Some novels, like the James Bond series, have been edited to remove racist references. Ian Fleming's books were reissued in 2023 with certain language changed following a review by sensitivity readers. Similar edits have also been made to some Agatha Christie mysteries. The 69-year-old bestselling British author, who was commissioned by the Ian Fleming estate to write three James Bond continuation novels—With a Mind to Kill, Trigger Mortis, and Forever and a Day—dismissed the idea of modernising the content. When asked how he adapted the stories for today's readers, he firmly replied: 'The first thing I did not do was update it for a modern audience.' He continued: 'I set it in the 1950s as I believe Bond only exists in his world. I did not give in to anything. He is still a womaniser, a smoker, and a killer. 'There was nothing to change, not even the language, he used the word 'bottom' a lot, so I made sure I used it in every book. Olusoga told the Hay Festival: 'I think we need to be tougher. Our ancestors had those words shouted at them; we just have to read them in a book' 'I did not change him to match people's sensibilities.' In 2023, Roald Dahl's classic children's books were revised by sensitivity experts to remove language deemed offensive, such as references to characters being 'fat' and the use of gendered terms for the Oompa Loompas. Publisher Puffin hired sensitivity readers to review and change parts of Dahl's original text, aiming to ensure the stories could continue to be enjoyed by today's readers. As a result, substantial changes were made across his works. According to The Telegraph, many of the edits focused on descriptions of characters' appearances, with the word 'fat' completely removed from every book. Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory can now only be described as 'enormous'. Hundreds of changes were made to the original text, extinguishing Dahl's colourful and memorable descriptions, some over fifty years old, to make his characters less grotesque. Mrs Twit's 'fearful ugliness' has been chopped to 'ugliness', and Mrs Hoppy in Esio Trot is not an 'attractive middle-aged lady' but a 'kind middle-aged lady'. Gender is also eliminated with books no longer referring to 'female' characters. Miss Trunchbull in Matilda, once a 'most formidable female', is now a 'most formidable woman', while her 'great horsey face' is now called 'her face'. Oompa-Loompas who were once 'small men' are now 'small people' and Fantastic Mr Fox's three sons have become daughters. Passages not written by the late author, who died in 1990, have also been added by the publisher to complete their new editions. In The Witches, a paragraph describing them as bald under their wigs is followed shortly by a new line: 'There are plenty of other reasons why women might wear wigs and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Olusoga: Stop demanding racist terms be removed from literature
Racist language should not be removed from classic books or TV shows and young people should toughen up, David Olusoga has said. The historian and presenter said it was more useful to confront the language of the past than to censor it. 'The thing I'm very aware of is that I'm from a different generation to the generation that is familiar with trigger warnings. I get their argument that it is good to be told that a book has certain stories or certain words that might come as a shock. 'Where I disagree with the idea is that we should remove those words or remove those books from the syllabus,' he told an audience at the Hay Festival. Olusoga recently contributed to a documentary about the BBC show The Black and White Minstrel Show that ran until the late 1970s, which featured white performers using blackface. Olusoga said during an appearance at the Hay Festival: 'To understand how that form of entertainment delivered racism, delivered racial stereotypes and delivered racial language into the British idiom, you have to confront those words. I don't think it is possible to get across just how toxic it is unless you put your hand in the fire. 'Nor is it better to hide from those words and not be able to obtain a proper knowledge of the power of that entertainment. 'I think we need to be tougher. Our ancestors had those words shouted at them; we just have to read them in a book. So I'm afraid I have a much less tolerant attitude with people who, rather than warnings, want words removed.' Novels that have been edited to remove racist references include the James Bond series. Ian Fleming's books were reissued in 2023 with some language edited after a review by sensitivity readers. Some Agatha Christie mysteries have received the same treatment. Episodes of Little Britain were edited on BBC iPlayer and The League of Gentlemen was removed from Netflix because of their use of blackface to portray some characters. Olusoga and Yinka, his sister, last year published a book they wrote together, Black History for Every Day of the Year. Explaining the theme, Olusoga said: 'It makes black history into normal history, literally everyday history. It turns it from something which is seen as political and specialist into something which is just part of history. These histories of Empire, migration and movement are just normal parts of history.' Olusoga added that Black History Month is a valid idea but 'it doesn't solve the big problem, which is understanding that this is part of our mainstream history. It, in some way, reinforces the idea that this is a separate channel alongside the mainstream'. 'Any honest, wholehearted telling of Britain's Industrial Revolution has to recognise the key raw material alongside coal was cotton, and that the vast majority of that cotton came from the Deep South, produced by 1.8 million African-Americans who were part of British history, [although] they never set foot on British soil. 'We cannot tell the story of the Industrial Revolution without them, yet that's exactly what we've been doing.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
David Olusoga: Stop demanding racist terms be removed from literature
Racist language should not be removed from classic books or TV shows and young people should toughen up, David Olusoga has said. The historian and presenter said it was more useful to confront the language of the past than to censor it. 'The thing I'm very aware of is that I'm from a different generation to the generation that is familiar with trigger warnings. I get their argument that it is good to be told that a book has certain stories or certain words that might come as a shock. 'Where I disagree with the idea is that we should remove those words or remove those books from the syllabus,' he told an audience at the Hay Festival. Olusoga recently contributed to a documentary about the BBC show The Black and White Minstrel Show that ran until the late 1970s, which featured white performers using blackface. 'We just have to read them' Olusoga said during an appearance at the Hay Festival: 'To understand how that form of entertainment delivered racism, delivered racial stereotypes and delivered racial language into the British idiom, you have to confront those words. I don't think it is possible to get across just how toxic it is unless you put your hand in the fire. 'Nor is it better to hide from those words and not be able to obtain a proper knowledge of the power of that entertainment. 'I think we need to be tougher. Our ancestors had those words shouted at them; we just have to read them in a book. So I'm afraid I have a much less tolerant attitude with people who, rather than warnings, want words removed.' Novels that have been edited to remove racist references include the James Bond series. Ian Fleming's books were reissued in 2023 with some language edited after a review by sensitivity readers. Some Agatha Christie mysteries have received the same treatment. Episodes of Little Britain were edited on BBC iPlayer and The League of Gentlemen was removed from Netflix because of their use of blackface to portray some characters. Olusoga and Yinka, his sister, last year published a book they wrote together, Black History for Every Day of the Year. Explaining the theme, Olusoga said: 'It makes black history into normal history, literally everyday history. It turns it from something which is seen as political and specialist into something which is just part of history. These histories of Empire, migration and movement are just normal parts of history.' Olusoga added that Black History Month is a valid idea but 'it doesn't solve the big problem, which is understanding that this is part of our mainstream history. It, in some way, reinforces the idea that this is a separate channel alongside the mainstream'. 'Any honest, wholehearted telling of Britain's Industrial Revolution has to recognise the key raw material alongside coal was cotton, and that the vast majority of that cotton came from the Deep South, produced by 1.8 million African-Americans who were part of British history, [although] they never set foot on British soil. 'We cannot tell the story of the Industrial Revolution without them, yet that's exactly what we've been doing.'
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Who is David Olusoga? Historian known for presenting Civilisations and A House Through Time
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HE may be one of Britain's most prominent historians, but David Olusoga is now set to appear on BBC's Celebrity Traitors. Here's what we know about the decorated professor and TV presenter. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 David Olusoga is a 49-year-old historian and presenter Credit: Getty - Contributor Who is David Olusoga? David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, broadcaster, and writer. He was born in Nigeria in January 1970 but arrived in the UK and grew up in Newcastle. He is 55 years old. By the time David was 14, the National Front had targeted his home more than once, and things got so serious that the police had to step in to protect him and his family. In the end, the racism they faced became too much, and they were forced to move. Later on, David went on to study the history of slavery at the University of Liverpool, where he earned a BA in History in 1994. After that, he took a postgraduate course in broadcast journalism at Leeds Trinity University. However, he actually got his start in television back in 1999, working as a researcher on the BBC series Western Front. David is also the author of six books including the 2016 book Black and British: A Forgotten History, which picked up both the Longman–History Today Trustees Award and the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize in 2017. He was named in the Powerlist of the 100 most influential Black Britons in both 2019 and 2020. Celebrity Traitors 2025: Meet the Full Cast Line-up In the 2019 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to history and community integration. He received the medal from King Charles III in February 2023. When the University of Manchester made him a professor in 2019, they described him as a leading expert in military history, empire, race and slavery, calling him one of the UK's foremost historians. David interviewed former US President Barack Obama in January 2021, discussing the first volume of his presidential memoir, A Promised Land. In December 2021, David was awarded the President's Medal by the British Academy, becoming just the 39th recipient since the award began in 2010. It recognises his outstanding contribution to the humanities and social sciences. He was handed a Bafta Special Award back in 2023 to honour his outstanding contribution to the arts. Which TV shows has David Olusoga worked on? Celebrity Traitors 5 David Olusoga arrives at Inverness airport ahead of filming the new season of The Traitors. Credit: Peter Jolly David is among a host of stars taking part in BBC's Celebrity Traitors. He will be joining 19 big names including a Line Of Duty actor, a Bridget Jones star. The psychological adventure competition takes place in the Scottish Highlands. The contestants then complete a series of challenges and missions together as a team. However, three traitors are secretly lurking, sabotaging their efforts. The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire David worked behind the camera for the BBC for years before finally being brought in front of it in 2014 with The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire. In the documentary, he revealed stories of the millions of Indian, African and Asian troops and ancillaries who fought during World War I. Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes He followed it up with Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes and Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners in 2015. David told the story of how thousands of men and women from the Caribbean colonies volunteered to come to Britain to join the fight against Hitler. Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners 5 David Olusoga and fellow winners of the Specialist Factual award for Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners. Credit:) David shone a light on Britain's dark past - how it was built on the profits of slavery. The acclaimed series won a Bafta and a Royal Historical Society Public History Prize for Broadcasting. Black and British: A Forgotten History 5 David Olusoga presented Black & British: A Forgotten History, alongside his book of the same name. Credit: Des Willie / BBC David received much acclaim for his 2016 series Black and British: A Forgotten History and its accompanying book. In the series, David explored the enduring relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa. Civilisations 5 Historians David, Mary Beard, and Simon Schama host Civilisations. Credit: Photographer: Pete Dadds / BBC He also presented Civilisations, a BBC documentary which examines, over nide episodes, more than 500 works of art across 31 different countries. David hosted two of the episodes, First Contact and The Cult of Progress. A House Through Time The series tells the story of Britain from the point of view of a house and its owners and inhabitants over the centuries. David looks into city archives, explores old newspaper reports and meets the living descendants of those who were connected to the house. The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files David presented a one-off documentary about the Windrush Files. He opens government files to show how the Windrush scandal and the 'hostile environment' for Black British immigrants has been 70 years in the making. The One Show David has contributed to The One Show on a number of occasions. He even appeared with his sister Yinka Olusoga, to talk about their book, Black History for Every Day of the Year. Is he married? Olusoga lives in Bristol with his partner and daughter. Although not much is known about his personal life, we know that David he met his wife 'in the canteen' whilst working at the BBC and that she is 'a producer at the Natural History Unit."
The Sun
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Who is David Olusoga and is he married?
HE may be one of Britain's most prominent historians, but David Olusoga is now set to appear on BBC's Celebrity Traitors. Here's what we know about the decorated professor and TV presenter. 5 Who is David Olusoga? David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, broadcaster, and writer. He was born in Nigeria in January 1970 but arrived in the UK and grew up in Newcastle. He is 55 years old. By the time David was 14, the National Front had targeted his home more than once, and things got so serious that the police had to step in to protect him and his family. In the end, the racism they faced became too much, and they were forced to move. Later on, David went on to study the history of slavery at the University of Liverpool, where he earned a BA in History in 1994. After that, he took a postgraduate course in broadcast journalism at Leeds Trinity University. However, he actually got his start in television back in 1999, working as a researcher on the BBC series Western Front. David is also the author of six books including the 2016 book Black and British: A Forgotten History, which picked up both the Longman–History Today Trustees Award and the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize in 2017. He was named in the Powerlist of the 100 most influential Black Britons in both 2019 and 2020. In the 2019 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to history and community integration. He received the medal from King Charles III in February 2023. When the University of Manchester made him a professor in 2019, they described him as a leading expert in military history, empire, race and slavery, calling him one of the UK's foremost historians. David interviewed former US President Barack Obama in January 2021, discussing the first volume of his presidential memoir, A Promised Land. In December 2021, David was awarded the President's Medal by the British Academy, becoming just the 39th recipient since the award began in 2010. It recognises his outstanding contribution to the humanities and social sciences. He was handed a Bafta Special Award back in 2023 to honour his outstanding contribution to the arts. Which TV shows has David Olusoga worked on? Celebrity Traitors 5 David is among a host of stars taking part in BBC 's Celebrity Traitors. He will be joining 19 big names including a Line Of Duty actor, a Bridget Jones star. The psychological adventure competition takes place in the Scottish Highlands. The contestants then complete a series of challenges and missions together as a team. However, three traitors are secretly lurking, sabotaging their efforts. The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire David worked behind the camera for the BBC for years before finally being brought in front of it in 2014 with The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire. In the documentary, he revealed stories of the millions of Indian, African and Asian troops and ancillaries who fought during World War I. Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes He followed it up with Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes and Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners in 2015. David told the story of how thousands of men and women from the Caribbean colonies volunteered to come to Britain to join the fight against Hitler. Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners 5 David shone a light on Britain's dark past - how it was built on the profits of slavery. The acclaimed series won a Bafta and a Royal Historical Society Public History Prize for Broadcasting. Black and British: A Forgotten History 5 David received much acclaim for his 2016 series Black and British: A Forgotten History and its accompanying book. In the series, David explored the enduring relationship between Britain and people whose origins lie in Africa. Civilisations 5 He also presented Civilisations, a BBC documentary which examines, over nide episodes, more than 500 works of art across 31 different countries. David hosted two of the episodes, First Contact and The Cult of Progress. A House Through Time The series tells the story of Britain from the point of view of a house and its owners and inhabitants over the centuries. David looks into city archives, explores old newspaper reports and meets the living descendants of those who were connected to the house. The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files David presented a one-off documentary about the Windrush Files. He opens government files to show how the Windrush scandal and the 'hostile environment' for Black British immigrants has been 70 years in the making. The One Show David has contributed to The One Show on a number of occasions. He even appeared with his sister Yinka Olusoga, to talk about their book, Black History for Every Day of the Year. Is he married? Olusoga lives in Bristol with his partner and daughter. Although not much is known about his personal life, we know that David he met his wife 'in the canteen' whilst working at the BBC and that she is 'a producer at the Natural History Unit."
