Former Premier League player Jason Lee said that David Baddiel has finally apologised to him 25 years after the comedian used "blackface" during sketches that were "racist, culturally offensive, and bullying."
The pair have recently met as part of a Channel 4 series being filmed by Baddiel, Jews Don't Count , and further details of their conversation will be released in the new AbsoluteLee Podcast at 10pm tonight.
Baddiel would wear black makeup on his face during scenes in his popular show Fantasy Football League with co-host Frank Skinner. The programme would also see Lee's dreadlocks mocked, leading to the then Nottingham Forest striker being called a pineapple.
Lee said the sketches left his children feeling "traumatised" and despite numerous stories where Baddiel was said to have expressed contrition for the sketches, Lee has said that the comedian has only directly said sorry for the scenes since meeting for Jews Don't Count .
"It’s been 25 years since Baddiel and Skinner’s Fantasy Football League included sketches impersonating me in blackface. Yes, the sketches were racist, culturally offensive, and bullying. Baddiel rightfully accepts this now," Lee said on his Twitter page.
"While the conversation between David and myself was challenging for us both in different ways, I respect that David finally found the courage to come and speak to me after all these years.
"Although I do hold him responsible as the person who directly blackfaced, there was also a team of people around him who thought the sketches were ok and who have avoided having to accept responsibility for the part they played.
"David is speaking out against the antisemitism he has sadly experienced, and as you’ll see in the podcast, I felt that to continue doing so, it was important that he genuinely addressed the anti-Black racism he perpetuated with the Fantasy Football sketches.
"Not to avoid a backlash, but because it is the right thing to do. Having spoken to him I believe he understood this.
"Since finishing my playing and coaching career, my work has been focused on diversity and inclusion. I believe we must all do the work to better understand the experiences of others, which is why I am committed to allyship for all communities facing discrimination.
"I hope people will take something positive from the conversation & we can draw a line under what happened, & continue our work to address racism & discrimination, not just in instances when we are personally affected, but also for each other. That’s how real change is made."
Baddiel has become an increasingly loud voice in highlighting antisemitism and has said abuse of Jewish people has become “more vocalised and more normalised in the past 20 years.”
Jews Don’t Count airs tonight at 9pm, with Lee’s podcast published to Spotify and on YouTube immediately afterwards.
