Coronation Street bosses apologise for ‘racist’ Kunta Kinte comment following fan outrage
Cath Tyldesley's character Eva Price sent fans reeling when she said in the salon she had "more roots than Kunta Kinte"
CORONATION Street has come under fire after a character was seen making a 'racist' comment regarding the state of her hair.
Viewers of the soap tuned into the Bank Holiday Monday special of the show and watched as Cath Tyldesley's character Eva Price went to the salon for a touch up on her dye job.
She then shocked viewers as she remarked: "I've got more roots than Kunta Kinte!"
Kunta Kinte was a character from the novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family, and was based on a real life ancestor of author Alex Haley.
Fans who were aware of the reference found the comment insulting, and stormed Twitter with their worries.
One furious viewer wrote: "Whoever wrote this and approved the script - shame on you! Comparing hair to a slave?"
Another viewer agreed and added: "You wouldn't make a joke about Ann Frank, that would be in bad taste, but Kunta Kinte is okay? Who's bad idea was that?!"
Now, Coronation Street bosses have released an apology regarding the misinformed gag.
An ITV spokesperson said: "We apologise if this dialogue has caused offence."
The Sun Online has also revealed Corrie bosses could be facing an Ofcom probe into the scandal after almost 300 viewers lodged official complaints.
The broadcasting watchdog has been swamped with messages from concerned fans, and executives are now considering launching an investigation.
Kinte's story in Roots tracks from his birth in 1750 to his death in 1822, during which time he was captured in Gambia and became a slave in the US.
The touching story has been adapted for television twice, with Malachi Kirby taking on the role in it's latest adaptation this year.
This is the second time in a week that ITV bosses found themselves under fire, when soap Emmerdale sparked fury after a character made a comment about a drunk person acting like someone with cerebral palsy.
Nicola King's character was branded 'disgusting' as she told Dan Spencer: "You can't go around like that, all cocked. You look like you've got Hemiplegia."
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