George Floyd death: Myleene Klass recalls racist abuse

Myleene Klass said she was struggling with the complexities of having to explain racism to her three children

Musician Myleene Klass has detailed the abuse she suffered as child because of her Filipino background.

Klass, who grew up in Norfolk, took to Instagram to list the racial abuse directed at her which she posted with a photo of herself as a child.

She said she was sharing her story in the wake of the death of African-American George Floyd.

The 42-year-old said: "I'm trying so hard to explain the complexities of racism to my children."

Mr Floyd died last week after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes. His death has sparked widespread unrest in the US.

Mother-of-three Klass, who grew up in Gorleston and has an Austrian father and Filipino mother, said while she did not "understand the struggles a black person living in America might be experiencing," she does "know my own experience of being a mixed race Filipino girl growing up in Norfolk".

There have been protests across America following the death of George Floyd

In the Instagram post, she listed how she had been bullied by other children because of her background, including having rock-filled snowballs thrown at her and being spat at.

• Coronavirus: Live updates from across the East of England

The presenter also recalled feeling "pride and relief" when, aged 10, children from her school stood up for her when she suffered abuse.

She said: "It was a small 'victory', I felt embarrassed, hot, shamed but I remember it so well because for the first time, I didn't feel alone."

Klass also challenged people's perceptions of Filipino nannies.

"In the area I live now, 'get a Filipino' is bandied around so easily when referring to getting a nanny, they don't even realise they're talking about a person, an actual person."

She added: "Growing up in Norfolk, there wasn't much visibility as to what a girl like me could aspire to be, but I was surrounded by incredible, selfless nurses and those in service, the same who are tending our Covid patients and dropping like flies."