TELEVISION PERSONALITY Rochelle Humes has broken her silence on the furore over the black maternal mortality documentary.

Due to initial social media posts by Candice Brathwaite, it was widely believed that Humes had replaced her in the documentary.

However, it was later revealed that Brathwaite had been working with another production company – and Humes’ production company got the piece commissioned first.

Brathwaite’s agents asked if she could co-present the documentary that was commissioned, and this request was declined.

Brathwaite also declined a request to take part in the documentary as a contributor as she did not ‘want her trauma to be mined for a show where she had no control of the narrative.’

Speaking on Instagram stories, Rochelle Humes said: “The situation around the documentary playing out online is complex and I know that my response won’t satisfy everyone.

Bringing the issue to the widest possible audience

“That being said, I am going to speak to the facts and what I know to be true.

“Firstly, I recognise that I am contributing to a conversation that many black women have been central to and fighting for a long time.

“When taking on this project, it was necessary to the producers and I, that the voices of the people who’ve been directly affected are centred in the storytelling.

“It’s important to me personally and everyone involved in this documentary that this ongoing issue is brought to the widest possible audience.

“I want to utilise my platform to add further reach and visibility to this ongoing issue, with the sole intention of creating broader awareness to affect change.

“I was offered the role last year, to go on an exploratory journey through the lens of the audience to ask the question why.

“To tackle any issue on a national scale, it involves a community of people pulling together to advocate and rally for change as ultimately we all share the same goal.

“This is bigger than me and not about me, I’m just bringing this topic to a wider audience and championing he incredible women that haven’t yet had their voices heard.

“I want to honour the brave people who have opened up and shared their journeys, in the hope that collectively, we can understand, learn from, and end these needless deaths.”

Much outrage ensued online when people thought one production company had replaced Brathwaite as a presenter with Humes, and it opened up wider conversations about colourism in the black community.