In a recent interview with The Voice Loose Women star Jameila talks about the problems she has faced in the world of UK entertainment.
I’ve come against that [prejudice] on so many occasions. When I first signed my record deal, people said, ‘she’s never gonna sell because she’s dark-skinned. Only light-skinned women are gonna sell’. People said that no-one would ever see me as sexy and I’d never be on the front of any magazine – but I’ve been on the cover of every magazine I can think of.
“It came from industry people, radio people, magazine editors; I remember visiting a PR company and they were saying, ‘no one’s gonna want a black girl’. I constantly questioned, ‘why not?’ And to this day, I’m still like that. If there’s something I want to do, I’m going to find a way to do it. My feeling towards all of that is, ‘don’t get angry, don’t get offended, just prove them wrong.”
“I love being a representation of dark-skinned women in the commercial arena. My eldest daughter is dark-skinned and I think it’s very important for her and every other young, dark-skinned girl out there to see that I can do whatever I want to do.
“I was told so many times that I wouldn’t be able to do this or that because of my image and I love defying people’s opinions. I love being a rebel – that’s why I’m known as the rebel on Twitter! I love proving people wrong and when my daughter’s my age, I want her to not make any differentiations between a dark-skinned woman and a light-skinned woman, or a black woman and a white woman. I just want her to see herself as a strong woman who is capable of all things.”
‘When I first signed my record deal, people said, ‘she’s never gonna sell because she’s dark-skinned. Only light-skinned women are gonna sell’.’
It would not surprise me if the individuals who said the rubbish above were lost black British male executives, whose own skin tones ironically match the shade of an After Eight mint.
Believe it or not this happens.
As for loving ‘being a representation of dark-skinned women in the commercial arena‘ etc – Okay Jamelia lets not get too carried away here. Calm down. But congratulations on your success so far.
Categories: UK News
MAD NEWS UK 
Good on her! But her Guiness Book of World record attempt for the most amount of times saying “Dark-skinned” was unnecessary! LOL! Also there’s nothing “rebellious” about being black…but no in all seriousness good on her! She’s doing great work!
Yes.. something about that got under my skin. But I wish her continued success.
She’s still BEAUTIFUL!!! Good for her to be speaking out. But she did irritate me with the dark-skinned thing.. But lets see what happens from here.. More success means she can speak out even more… Let’s hope
true dark skinned is blue-black skin tone. but yes I understand. UK is definitely a colourism society. daytime tv tends to be blond with sprinkles of brunettes not much else
“whose own skin tones ironically match the shade of an After Eight mint.” Janice I cant!
wow that’s fuc*ed up, how do they expect her to sell if they don’t give her the chance. Of course she would sell, I’m sure a lot of mixed and coloured people would admire her. Naomi Campbell, Jessica white have been in demand. I don’t really get how anyone can look at her n say she’s ugly or not good enough, beauty is beauty. Janice, do u think some of these ignorant black males hate their own mothers or are just trying to put others down 2 feel more superior. Also I think by light skinned women they mean white females because I don’t see that much caramel on tv either. It seems most of the coloured females only get to urban magazines.