The Void: Fleur East on ‘importance’ of two people of colour hosting
Fleur East celebrated the impact of two people of color presenting The Void as she hosted the show with Ashley Banjo, to speak Metro.co.uk that it was a ‘great’ opportunity.
Over the course of their careers, Fleur and Ashley have both proven a dynamic screen presence, with Fleur rising to fame as runner-up on The the X Factor and Ashley wins Britain’s Got Talent with dance troupe Diversity.
Since then, they have continued to star on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Dancing on the ice respectively, finally taking part in a showbiz match made in the sky for ITV’s new The Void gameshow.
The Void sees contestants face tough mental and physical challenges that could put them at risk of falling into the void below – a terrifying 520,000-liter tank of water.
Fleur said Metro.co.uk that it’s ‘an incredible opportunity to watch an ITV show in prime time’, especially when the physicality of the series matches her passion for fitness.
Fleur, 33, and Ashley, 32, actually met for the first time on set, where they were delighted to discover that they ‘get along very well’ and ‘have a lot in common’.
The singer explained that ‘it’s amazing to be able to do a primetime show on such a big channel and a channel where we both get introduced to,’ adding that ‘the fact that it’s two people of color’.
‘To see that representation, and to know that we are representing our community at the same time,’ she said.
Fleur recounted that it was amazing that she wore her natural hair on the show and that ‘it’s bigger than life’.
The presenter stressed her new role ‘is also celebrating that, because we just said it’s very important for the younger generation to see people like them on TV’.
‘As soon as you see that you go, oh my gosh, I might as well do it. If Fleur is up there, Ashley is up there it could happen to me, and I think that’s very important,’ she said.
Fleur hopes that in the entertainment industry, ‘putting foot in the door and showing what we can do’ can ‘bring more opportunities to people of color,’ as she notes that there are ‘ a lot of talented presenters out there ‘haven’t had a chance’.
Looking back on her childhood watching game shows on TV, Fleur says no one is ‘really mind-blowing’ like the presenters she feels represent her, adding that while there are of color ‘had great opportunities’, they ‘had little and far between’.
‘For example, even someone like Alison Hammond, who I think is unbelievable, she has been working and matching clothes for so long and now she is finally in a place where she has a lot show, she was standing in front of the shows, on the sofa on This Morning, a lot of Fleur said.
‘It’s still a long time coming. So I think we’re in a good moment now. I think it’s a good space, I think things are slowly changing and yes, there are more opportunities and I’m really excited about that. ‘
Alison actually told Fleur about The Void, the singer revealed, saying how much she loves the show and commenting that she would be ‘great’ with it.
If a popular version of The Void is made, Fleur expressed hope that Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield would be involved. Bring back the challenge This morning.
The Void airs at 8pm tonight on ITV and can be watched on ITV Hub.
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