BBC pulls Margolyes comment describing Dickens villain as ‘Jewish and vile’
The BBC has pulled a comment made on air by Miriam Margolyes after the actress described Charles Dickens’ villain Fagin as “Jewish and vile”.
The Harry Potter actor made the remarks when she was asked about a Dickens’ character that stuck in her head as a child, while appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row programme.
Responding to presenter Kirsty Wark’s question, Margolyes, 83, said: “Oh, Fagin. Without question. Jewish and vile,” before adding: “I didn’t know Jews like that then – sadly, I do now.”
Margolyes, who is Jewish herself, spoke during her Edinburgh Fringe run of her one-woman show Margolyes & Dickens: The Best Bits.
The BBC has since pulled the comment from the programme – with the broadcaster noting it “should have been challenged at the time”.
Fagin, one of the Victorian author’s most notorious villains, is described as “receiver of stolen goods” and is at the helm of a group of child pickpockets.
He is introduced for the first time in Oliver Twist as a “very old shrivelled Jew” and is referred to as “the Jew” more than 250 times in the book’s first 38 chapters.
Following the programme airing, the Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote on X:
It's a sad reflection of this era when both the host and audience of a @BBC programme simply laugh along with a guest's comments about "vile" Jews.
Yes, the guest happens to be Jewish.
No, that does not give her free reign to spew her repugnant sentiments in the guise of… pic.twitter.com/56xn30aecl— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) August 14, 2024
It continues: “Yes, the guest happens to be Jewish. No, that does not give her free reign to spew her repugnant sentiments in the guise of ‘comedy’.
“We will be writing to the BBC about this.”
Confirming Margolyes’s comment had since been pulled, a BBC spokesman said: “This was an unexpected comment made during a live broadcast, which should have been challenged at the time.
“We have taken swift action to remove it from the programme and it is no longer available.”
Previously quizzed on the 1893 novel by The List, Margolyes said last month: “Charles Dickens: It’s very filmic. I came across this chap, Fagin the Jew, and that sparked my interest. It was clear that he was not only extremely funny but horrible, evil, a complete arse. I thought ‘how can that be Jewish? I’ve never met anybody like that.’”
Pressed on whether she thought the author was anti-Semitic, she continued: “Everybody is anti-Semitic, darling. He was a chronicler, a journalist, and Jews couldn’t earn a living. Maybe they couldn’t speak the language.”
Margolyes has previously spoken of how her views – and criticism of the Israeli Government – have prompted clashes between friends.
The actor told Saga: “Jewish people regard me with loathing, as someone who betrayed my nation and aligned myself with the Devil.
“That is also the opinion of my erstwhile friend Dame Maureen Lipman, who is horrified by my attitude.”
The Telegraph has contacted representatives of Margolyes for a response.
