Sunrise’s Samantha Armytage was slammed in 2015 after congratulating white woman Lucy Aylmer on her skin tone in a live TV interview.
The 40-year-old host said ‘good on you’ while her darker-skinned twin Maria Aylmer watched on.
And as the interview resurfaced on Twitter in the wake of #BlackLivesMatter protests, Lucy Aylmer begged trolls in an Instagram post on Sunday to not tag her in posts.
‘I can’t deal with it’: Mixed-race twin Lucy Aylmer (pictured) begged the public in an Instagram post on Sunday, to not ‘tag her in multiple posts’ – as Samantha Armytage trends on Twitter over a resurfaced ‘racist’ Sunrise segment
Aylmer shared a screenshot of a text that read: ‘Please stop sending me links to posts of me and Maria, read the comments first and ask yourself if I’d really want to see that.
‘I’m trying to enjoy myself making my new flat a home in preparation for my child, I don’t want to read comments from people calling me ugly.’
Aylmer accompanied the screenshot with a lengthy caption, pleading for the abuse to stop.
‘Ask yourself if I’d really want to see that’: In a lengthy post, Aylmer asked the public to not send her links to the resurfaced interview, or comment on her appearance
‘I’ve been tagged in multiple posts the past 24 hours, all of which are full of negative comments directed at myself for something someone else said five years ago.
‘A comment I did not make, yet am receiving the backlash for. The past five years since the story of me and Maria first went viral, I’ve been receiving constant insults for the way I look and being compared to my sister and labelled as the “ugly twin”.
‘Comments like this are hurtful, I do see them and I don’t deserve that. I’ve made the decision to keep my daughter’s life private and my own too.
Private: Armytage (pictured), 40, has also changed her Instagram account to private since the interview resurfaced
‘I’m no longer publicly posting on this account and would appreciate it if people would stop requesting to follow my private one.’
Aylmer went on to say that she shouldn’t have to ‘explain’ herself, but simply ‘can’t deal with it anymore’.
Armytage has also changed her Instagram account to private since the interview resurfaced on Twitter.
Trending for the wrong reasons: The 2015 interview has resurfaced on Twitter in the wake of #BlackLivesMatter movement. Armytage is pictured with co-host David ‘Kochie’ Koch
During the 2015 segment, Armytage introduced the mixed-race twins from the UK separately.
‘Maria has taken after her half Jamaican mum with dark skin and brown eyes and curly dark hair, but Lucy got her dad’s fair skin, good on her, along with straight red hair and blue eyes,’ the Seven presenter said at the time.
Co-host David ‘Kochie’ Koch – who was also trending on Twitter on Sunday – seemed taken aback by the comment, and gave a confused glance in Armytage’s direction.
‘Good on her’: During her interview, Armytage introduced the twins (pictured) from the UK separately, and appeared to congratulate one twin on her fair complexion
Armytage apologised for the comment days later in 2015, saying in a statement to Daily Mail Australia: ‘I would be mortified if anyone thought I would say or think anything racist. It’s not in my nature. To anyone who I might have offended, I’m sorry.’
A Seven spokesperson also told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Regular members of the Sunrise audience or anyone who has seen the clip in full will know that Sam was taking a dig at herself.’
‘She frequently jokes about the fair skin that runs in her family and difficult it can be to manage in extreme environments,’ they added.
Backlash: In the past few days the clip has been shared thousands of times on Twitter, with many mistakingly believing the clip to be recent
In the past few days the clip has been shared thousands of times on Twitter, with many mistakingly believing the clip to be recent.
Some users have claimed the video is an example of ‘white privilege’ and ‘casual racism’.
It comes as protests and riots erupt across the U.S. after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white cop pressed his knee against his neck for eight minutes.
Trending: Both Armytage and Koch were trending in Australia on Twitter on Sunday
Going to ground: Meanwhile, Armytage has set her Instagram page to private and hasn’t posted anything for three days
The officer involved, Derek Michael Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter days after footage of the incident went viral.
Protesters took to the streets demanding reform after what many consider another senseless death and example of police brutality.
Floyd had been accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a deli.
Tragic death: It comes as protests and riots erupt across the U.S. after George Floyd (pictured), an unarmed black man, died in Minneapolis last Monday after a white cop pressed his knee against his neck for eight minutes