Comedian Frank Skinner has admitted to using racist language and being homophobic, but says he’s since ‘evolved’.
The 65-year-old comic, who co-wrote football anthem Three Lions, has opened up about what life was like growing up in his hometown of West Bromwich in the 1960s and 1970s and how attitudes have changed drastically - and for the better - since.
Speaking while recording a Sky Arts Big Weekend programme at the Hay Festival he said: "I’ll be straight with you now, I grew up in the West Midlands in the ‘60s and ‘70s. I used racist language, I was sexist, I was homophobic.
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"I completely own up to that. I have evolved and that’s a good thing. When I look back, I’m ok with that.”
Skinner went on to say that he hopes to learn from his 10-year-old son Buzz, who has a more open outlook towards others.
Skinner added: "My kid, I can learn from him. He’s fine with gender politics, he’s fine with race.
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"He doesn’t even question it. We talk about those things. The future is going to be a lot better."
Earlier this month, it had been reported that the Football Association (FA) were sent to ban Three Lions at the Qatar World Cup later this year amid claims that its lyrics were ‘arrogant’.
The rumours prompted a bit of a backlash from football fans, including Skinner’s comedy partner and Three Lions co-writer David Baddiel who tweeted: “Three Lions which is about how England mainly fail in tournaments but we as fans hope that somehow, magically, knowing it’s probably wrong, that they might one day do better, is of course extremely arrogant.”
While former England star Paul Gascoigne accused the FA of ‘totally losing the plot’ and warning ‘you can’t take the song off us’.
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However, the FA was quick to quash the rumours - releasing a statement to say that the 1996 hit would be welcomed at the competition.
In a statement, the FA said: "Contrary to reports this morning, The FA still plays Three Lions at major Wembley matches and has never had any intention of doing otherwise.
"The song belongs to the fans and is about the hope of following the England team. It was requested by The FA to be played as one of our team songs at the 2018 World Cup and at the EUROs last summer, and this is our plan at tournaments going forwards."
Claire Reid