Alan Cummingis further explaining his reasoning behind returning a British honor he’s held since 2009.
Noting that the reaction to his move has been “incredible,” Cumming says, “I mean, first of all, I didn’t ever expect so much attention about it.”
“It’s been really positive,” he continues. “People really understood why it’s complicated, it’s complex, it’s not a black or white thing.”
Adds Cumming: “I tried to say that in my statement, and people have really responded to that. I think times are changing and things change, and you change how you feel about something.”
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Princess Anne and Alan Cumming.Alamy Stock Photo
When revealing the news that he returned the OBE, Cumming posted a message onInstagramannouncing “something I recently did for myself.”
“The Queen’s death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes,“The Traitorshost wrote. “Also, thankfully, times and laws in the US have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire).”
He continued, “So I returned my award, explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being given it in the first place. I’m now back to being plain old Alan Cumming again. Happy birthday to me!”
Alan Cumming.VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty
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Additionally, Michael Sheenquietly handed back the award in 2017after receiving it in 2009. “By the time I had finished writing that lecture [about the relationship between England and Wales]…I remember sitting there going, ‘Well, I have a choice — I either don’t give this lecture and hold on to my OBE, or I give this lecture and I have to give my OBE back,’ " Sheen toldThe Guardiancolumnist Owen Jonesin 2020.
Alan Cumming and Princess Anne.Alamy Stock Photo
The competition show, which he hosts, is set in a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands and has contestants compete for a whopping quarter of a million dollars.
Cumming said that there are also “loads” of off-screen moments that he wishes viewers could see on the Peacock program, which features contestants includingReal Housewives of Beverly HillsalumBrandi Glanville,Big Brother’sRachel ReillyandSurvivor’sStephanie LaGrossa.
“I mean there were things that happened that were not, probably not for mass consumption,” he says. “People freak out. People freaked out at various points … But you know, you get the gist.”
source: people.com
