The BBC has sparked a furious race row after being accused of “rewriting history” following the release of a new song on children’s show Horrible Histories.
The TV series received a barrage of criticisms on social media over its song “Been Here From The Start”.
The CBBC programme traced the history of black people from Cheddar Man to the 20th century.
GB News host and former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage asked: “When will the BBC stop lying?”
Conservative commentator Anna McGovern added: “BBC’s children show Horrible Histories has released a song called Been Here From The Start which is about black people always being in Britain. BBC is rewriting history by teaching children that the original Britons were black.”
She added: “Facts the BBC got wrong: – It says that Septimius Severus was black.
“That’s false. – It says that the Aurelian moors were black.
“That’s false. – It says that Western Hunter Gatherers, the original people of Britain, were black. That’s false. It’s time to defund the BBC.”
Critics have also pointed out that whilst black people have resided in the United Kingdom in the last 2000 years it is unfair to imply medieval or early modern Britain was diverse.
Around 20,000 black people lived in the United Kingdom in the 18th century.
The overall population started at around five million in 1700 and reached nearly nine million in 1801.
Depending on the period of the 18th century, the figure is either one-in-250 or one-in-450.
Horrible Histories released Been Here From The Start as a special song looking back at the contributions of black Britons in its 2021 specials.
Its lyrics referenced the likes of Henry VIII’s trumpeteer John Blanke.
It added: “Please lend me your ears for this news I shall impart. You may not have been told we have been here from the start.”
The song did not seem to spark much controversy when it was first released.
https://www.gbnews.com/news/bbc-race-row-horrible-histories-here-from-the-start