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| EMMA THOMPSON: ‘Not only were my remarks on a late night comedy show (comedy being the operative word) but I also mixed up my islands’ |
She caused outrage and bemusement in the Isle of Wight when she said on an American TV chat show that homosexuals were flogged and that Scotsmen could be shot on sight.
Most people quickly realised that she was getting the Isle of Wight muddled with the Isle of Man, but that her remarks were still ill-informed.
Isle of Wight council leader David Pugh wrote to the actress to take her to task.
She has written back to say that she now realised she had got the two islands muddled up, although she did not retract the comments exactly.
Thompson said: ‘Not only were my remarks on a late night comedy show (comedy being the operative word) but I also mixed up my islands – I think it was the Isle of Man that used to enjoy the privilege of being allowed to shoot Scotsmen if they appeared on the beach.’
Miss Thompson said she was ‘riffing’ and ‘the last thing on my mind was accuracy’.
A Manx Government spokesman was unperturbed by the Nanny McPhee star’s jibe.
‘Emma Thompson was obviously joking so we are not taking her comments seriously,’ he said.
‘For the record, the Isle of Man’s exceptional quality of life is enjoyed by a wide variety of residents and visitors, including a number of Scots.’
