Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh tells us what it was really like growing up mixed race in Gloucestershire

The Bridgerton star discussed growing up in Gloucestershire as a mixed-race girl in a rural village.

Being the only Black or mixed-race kid in any space can be difficult.

Whether it’s in a workplace in the middle of central London or at school in a rural village, there are many challenges that come with being the only person of colour in a predominately white space, something that Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh knows only too well.

The British star, who is of Ghanaian and English heritage, discussed being raised in a farming community in Gloucestershire and shared that she often felt singled out as the “only Black girl for miles around”.

“I grew up in the 1960s in the English countryside in Gloucestershire,” she told the Sunday Mirror.

“I sometimes felt as though I wasn’t seen for myself, although that also meant I was more resilient.

“In a small West Country farming village, to be mixed race with a strong Leeds accent meant I was already a different order of gravy.

“There were levels of familiarity, and people getting to know us. Having a strong Yorkshire accent was as much a part of that as my race.”

In the interview, Andoh shared that there were times when people were surprised to see a “coloured” girl, but she also experienced times when she was welcomed.

“Some people were like, ‘We can’t have that coloured girl in here – what would the neighbours think!’

“But, similarly, there were other houses where I was enormously welcomed.”

Ahead of the season two premiere of Bridgerton, Andoh also shared that she was proud of the diversity featured in the show, saying: “I can’t tell you how touched I have been to see the little Black girls posting photos of themselves in a Regency dress, dressed up like princesses.

 “I get pictures from little girls AND boys dressed as Lady Danbury. I think it’s lovely.

“You kind of go, ‘oh these children are going to grow up feeling like they have a place – not like they are being tolerated.’”

Image: Getty

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