Coronation Street apologises for 'racist' joke

Coronation Street has issued an apology following a comment made by Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley) that referenced the Roots character Kunta Kinte.

While paying a visit to Audrey's salon, Eva was seen remarking on the state of her hair. "I have more roots than Kunta Kinte,’ Eva stated, before adding: "No idea who that is. Just something my mum used to say."

Roots, written by Alex Haley, told the story of a man sold into slavery and was adapted into a 1977 miniseries that went on to win nine Emmy awards.

Eva's remark caused consternation on Twitter following its broadcast on Monday evening:

A spokesman for TV watchdog Ofcom competed "Ofcom has received 278 complaints about Coronation Street, which aired on Monday. We will assess these complaints before we decide whether to investigate or not."

Now, a spokeswoman for ITV has said: “We apologise if this dialogue has caused offence.”

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