Sandi Bogle has called for more diversity in soaps.
The former ‘Gogglebox’ star believes there should be "more culture" in Soapland, and insists there are not enough Chinese and Indian actors in the likes of ‘EastEnders’, ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Emmerdale’.
She said: "We need more in ‘Emmerdale’, ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘EastEnders’. We need different races.
"You don’t see any Chinese actors, hardly any Indians. I’ve got to say it as it is. They need to make more effort to bring people in. We need more culture."
Sandi – who was born in South London – has starred in several shows, including ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, since shooting to fame in ‘Gogglebox’, and she hopes her TV appearances can inspire others to achieve "anything".
She is quoted by The Sun’s Bizarre TV column as saying: "I want to empower minorities and I hope they see me on TV and think they can do anything."
Last year, then-‘Corrie’ boss Kate Oates – who is now in charge of ‘EastEnders’ – pledged to do more to improve the show’s diversity, both on and off screen.
She said: "In terms of reflecting diversity and showing black and Asian characters, yes, we absolutely need to do more of it.
"And we need more black and Asian writers, to bring out the truth of those voices.
"It’s important to keep the show strong and relevant, so that it’s running long after everyone’s forgotten who I am."
‘Corrie’ script writer Jonathan Harvey has previously said: "It could certainly do with having a better racial mix.
"It’s supposed to represent the world and life. There’s lots of things you try – you don’t always get them right, but you should always be striving."
Sandi Bogle calls for soap diversity
