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DOTUN AND CARROLL: Are they the black Richard and Judy?

In a society where the divorce rate peaks yearly and inter-racial union is the norm, broadcaster and publisher Dotun Adebayo, still believes black relationships are progressive and lasting

“Black men and women just want to get together and build their relationship even though we are faced with so much negativity, people don’t believe that black monogamous couples exist… what kind of argument is that,” he charged.

Adebayo, who co-hosts the BBC London Sunday Night Special current affairs programme alongside Carroll Thompson, his musician wife of six-years, said black people have led and are still leading successful relationships with their own.

“Every single guy I’ve played football with are black men who are in relationships with black women and they are not polygamous relationships,” said the 46-year-old presenter.

“Of course sometimes things happen and relationships break up but generally, most of the people I play football with have been in stable marriages for years.”

Reiterating sentiments made elsewhere in the media comparing the success of black relationships in the days of slavery to now, the father of two said: “In the days of slavery black men and women apparently were getting married more than they are getting married today, they were cutting off their arms not to be separated from their partner.”

He and his wife have been likened to the ‘Richard (Madeley) and Judy (Finnigan)’ of the black community, and are described as the ‘most talked about black media couple in Britain.’ Adebayo also presents a relationship phone-in session three nights per week on Radio Five called Up All Night.

Madeley and Finnigan, the husband and wife pair hosts the Channel 4 TV afternoon chat show.

Adebayo also pointed out that white people are faced with the same relationship problems as blacks. He joked: “I said: Carroll they are calling us the black Richard & Judy and she says: ‘yea, apparently I’m Richard so what are you?’”

“Its about time that we have some black couples out there flying the flag and I think we can do the job as good as them, but it’s a shame we won’t have another black presenting black couples for a long time, partly because its very difficult to find couples who are presenters,” noted Adebayo, who has been presenting for 30 years.

The presenter added that there were many undiscovered progressive black couples out there.

“My wife is more successful than I am. She chose nevertheless to be in a relationship with me… I live in a house paid for by my wife, I couldn’t afford a big whole house,” he said candidly.

“She drives a nice car, I ride a motorcycle, there are a lot of people around like that but they are just not given the credit… many of us are getting on with our lives and our business positively with partners that are black.”

Adebayo said people fall in love for various reasons other than love, which can cause problems: “Putting race first as a reason is always going to be the wrong reason whether the person is black or white.”

Published: 24 January 2007
Issue: 1253

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