‘You can’t defend that!’ Joanna Lumley weighs in on debate over tearing down statues

express.co.uk:

Radio Times, the actress revealed that she doesn’t support their actions.The 75-year-old had strong feelings about the debate around the toppling of UK statues.When asked about her thoughts, Joanna commented: “All our ancestors were linked with something, so you can’t suddenly go, ‘But I don’t do that’.”She added: “If you eat sugar, you’re probably eating sugar that came from sugar factories that were worked by slaves, and so it goes round and round.“Lots of things were obviously reprehensible, the slave trade being one; you can’t defend that.“But there are different things that were done in the past which we can’t change.“We don’t do them now because we wouldn’t.”Joanna, who is hosting a new three-part ITV documentary series Great Cities of the World, where she explores the magnificent cities of Berlin, Paris and Rome, said: “So, I don’t know how much of the past you can smash up without finding that the wrecking ball has come very close to your own house.”Joanna has recently also spoken about the “distressing” impact she feels the Netflix series The Crown has had on the Royal Family.She told Radio Times that she can’t watch the show, because she “knows quite a lot of the Royal Family”.She continued: “I know how distressing it must be to have your life made up and then played out as truth.”The Absolutely Fabulous star was made an OBE in 1995 and became a Dame earlier this year, when she was given the honour as part of the New Years Honours list.Joanna, who is also a campaigner, said: “It comes as a complete and unexpected surprise and is the kindest and most beautiful present imaginable.”She also received the BAFTA TV Fellowship in 2017.With a career spanning over five decades, Joanna has appeared in everything from Ab.