'Don't compliment us based on our skin colour': Gogglebox star Tom Malone Jr and girlfriend Bryony Biscoe reveal their interracial relationship has been 'fetishised'
Gogglebox star Tom Malone Jr and Bryony Biscoe took to Instagram on Wednesday to reveal they had been used on pages that fetishise interracial relationships.
The couple have been together for 15 months and regularly share couple shots to their social media accounts.
However the duo were left 'uncomfortable' to learn that they were featuring online because of their different ethnicities as they shared a video entitled, 'Our Relationship Isn't Defined By Race.'
We don't advocate for that! On Wednesday, Tom Malone Jr and Bryony Biscoe took to Instagram to speak out about being used on pages that fetishise interracial relationships
Alongside the upload, Tom wrote: 'We've recently been told that our pictures have been posted on pages that fetishise interracial relationships and wanted to make it clear that we don't advocate for that. @bryonybriscoe.'
Sitting together on a couch the pair explained their feelings about the so-called 'Swirl Movement' in the 3-minute video, asking people to compliment the love they have for each other, rather than their skin colour.
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Tom began, explaining: 'We're in an interracial relationship. I'm white Irish!...' with Bryony adding: 'and I'm half-caribbean.'
The TV star continued: 'To us that's a normal thing but It's been recently brought to our attention that there are a number of [Instagram] pages that are posting pictures of us...
Loved-up: The Gogglebox star and his model girlfriend have been together for 15 months and regularly share couple shots to their social media accounts
'And they're just whole pages dedicated to black and mixed race women finding white boyfriends and husbands, like that's something to be aspired to. And it felt a little bit uncomfortable so we just wanted to address it on here.
'If you want to celebrate our relationship and compliment our relationship then please complement us based on...'
'...What we stand for and the love we have for each other rather than our skin colour,' said Bryony.
Tom went further, insisting: 'Compliment our relationship, compliment how we treat each other, how we are together. Don't compliment us based on our skin colour because that's not what we're about at all.
Speaking out: The Gogglebox star and his model girlfriend insisted: 'We don't advocate for hashtag swirl,' in a video which they titled: 'Our Relationship Isn't Defined By Race'
'We don't advocate for that at all. Being with a partner of a certain race isn't something to aspire to. Being in a healthy relationship is something to aspire to, but race is not a factor in that.'
Bryony then laughed as she told viewers: 'Yeah don't be one of those people who wakes up in the morning and thinks I wanna be part of the hashtag swirl moment, 'cause that's really weird.'
'Yeah, that's literally what they hashtag on the pictures!' explained Tom.
Bryony continued: 'This isn't an ice-cream parlour... I dunno what that's about. A healthy relationship isn't based on your partner's skin colour.'
Don't do it! Bryony laughed as she told viewers: 'Yeh don't be one of those people who wakes up in the morning and thinks I wanna be part of the hashtag swirl moment'
Tom added: 'Don't get it twisted. We love being in a relationship that's like this.'
Bryony explained: 'We can celebrate our differences, which is for us to do not other people to post on Instagram and make it weird.'
But her boyfriend argued: 'If other people were to post "it's great that this couple can celebrate their differences" that's one thing, but it's when it becomes being in an interracial relationship, where it's a black woman with a white man, is something to aspire to.'
'And idolise,' added Bryony.
Tom continued: 'That's when it gets uncomfortable. Don't make our races something like the be-all and end-all of our relationship.
Uncomfortable: 'That's when it gets uncomfortable. Don't make our races something like the be-all and end-all of our relationship' said Tom
'Yeh, it plays a part - we are from two different cultural backgrounds, but we can celebrate that and still have a healthy relationship.
'But the important thing to focus on is the healthy relationship,' to which Bryony added: 'and not the skin colour.'
Finishing up the video message, Tom said: 'So, yeh we just wanted to come on here and address it quickly, because our faces are on that page and we wanted to make it clear that we don't advocate for hashtag swirl.
'The hashtag swirl movement has nothing to do with us. I hope that clears it up.'
Making it clear: We just wanted to come on here and address it, because our faces are on that page and we wanted to make it clear that we don't advocate for hashtag swirl!' said Tom
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