New Made In Chelsea star Paris Smith says she’ll always fear being portrayed as the ‘angry black woman’ on the show.
The reality star, 22, is committed to promoting diversity and said she is proud to ‘represent the minorities’ after becoming the first woman of colour in the show’s 10 -year history – but will always have fears over how she is depicted on the show.
Speaking to The Sun, she said: ‘I obviously have friends on the show, which is how I got on, but just being here to represent the minorities and the other women of colour in Chelsea, I think it’s important – especially after the Black Lives Matter movement.’
Candid interview: New Made In Chelsea star Paris Smith says she’ll always fear being portrayed as the ‘angry black woman’ on the show
Paris said she’ll always have fears over her portrayal on the show due to her own ‘self-image, saying:’I know I have been chosen not just because of the colour of my skin but because of my personality as well, and because of my friendships, roots, and education.
‘There comes a point where I will always be wary about playing into some negative stereotypes, such as the “angry black woman”, but I think that’s just something within me.
She added that MIC producers have not placed any negative narrative on her since joining the show last year.
Paris said she was delighted to see more diversity in reality TV since the BLM movement gained greater prominence, but said there was a ‘lot further to go’.
History maker: The reality star, 22, is committed to promoting diversity and said she is proud to ‘represent the minorities’ after becoming the first woman of colour in the show’s 10 -year history
Akin Solanke-Caulker became Made In Chelsea’s first black cast member in 2016, five years after the programme’s debut- with Paris making show history as the first woman of colour.
Paris recently gave her approval on cast mate Sophie Hermann’s new relationship with Tom Zanetti and added that ‘opposites really do attract’.
Paris says she feels Sophie, 34, and Tom, 31, are a great match together and called the pair ‘electric’.
Fan favourite: Akin Solanke-Caulker became Made In Chelsea’s first black cast member in 2016, five years after the programme’s debut- with Paris making show history as the first woman of colour (pictured above with Joshua ‘JP’ Patterson)
She said: ‘I obviously have friends on the show, which is how I got on, but just being here to represent the minorities and the other women of colour in Chelsea, I think it’s important – especially after the Black Lives Matter movement’
The couple got together on Celebs Go Dating, with Northern DJ Tom joining Made In Chelsea to be with his new girlfriend.
Model Paris said the pair seem ‘really well suited’ and attributed Tom’s ‘abundance of confidence’ to him fitting in well.
She told The Sun: ‘They seem really well suited, I think it’s interesting to see that opposites really do attract. They’re electric together and I think it’s fun to watch.’
The TV star insisted the cast weren’t a ‘judgemental group of people’ and joked only Tom’s Leeds accent was the only potential problem.
Smitten: Paris recently gave her approval on cast mate Sophie Hermann’s new relationship with Tom Zanetti and added that ‘opposites really do attract’
She continued: ‘We’re not really that much of a judgemental group of people. As long as you have confidence, which he clearly had an abundance of, then you will get along just fine.
‘I don’t think there’s really much of the barrier that people would have thought between us all – besides an accent!’
Earlier this month, Sophie and Tom discussed taking their relationship to the next level as he appeared on the show.
The DJ reflected on the status of his relationship with the German beauty during a fishing trip with her pals.
Friends: Paris (right), who joined the E4 show last year, said the pair seem ‘really well suited’ (Sophie, pictured centre, with cast mates Gareth, left, and Ollie Locke, back centre, and Robbie Mullett)
Tom said: ‘We’re having a great time, I think she likes that I’m just me and I’m not trying to impress her. Underneath she’s very soft’, before Ollie Locke hinted that she’ll like to advance their romance.
Insisting he’s on the same page, Tom replied: ‘I want the same thing! My boy [son Deaconn] is 14, I had him when I was 16. I can’t cuddle him like I used to. [I’d like to think] I’m a good dad.’
He also told Sophie: ‘I’ve had such a nice time. I’m really happy with what pace we’re going at. Who knows where it could go?’
Tom recently revealed that he has not become part of the series long-term, and that he was brought in for just a few scenes with Sophie.
Guest: Tom recently revealed that he has not become part of the series long-term, and that he was brought in for just a few scenes with Sophie