Vas J Morgan has revealed he has had meetings with TOWIE bosses to ensure the show is an open and accepting place for all after he heard some of his co-stars make racist comments.
The TV star, 31, who appeared on TOWIE from 2014 to 2019, recently revealed how a fellow cast member had made racist comments in front of him during filming.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline about his petition to ban anonoymous social media accounts, Vas told how he has since had meetings with the show’s producers to make sure the series is an inclusive environment for all its stars.
Progress: Vas J Morgan has revealed he has had meetings with TOWIE bosses to ensure the show is an accepting place for all after he heard some of his co-stars make racist comments
He said: ‘We’re having several meetings and I’ve been working with them for the past month or so. It’s going incredibly well. They’re doing the best they can.
‘They’ve taken my notes on board and I’ve had a few production companies reach out to me to give help and advice around that.’
He added: ‘TV shows, producers, everyone should be trying to do the best they can to make it a safe space for all races and genders. Inclusivity across the board should be thought of by every TV show.’
Recalling the incident in question, Vas previously told Metro: ‘I would overhear conversations of a male cast member saying to the girls like, ‘Oh yeah you effed – like slept with – that n***** in the past’. I’d be on set listening to this.’
Incident: Vas, 31, recently revealed how a fellow cast member had made racist comments in front of him during filming (pictured on the show with his friend Chloe Sims)
Mentioning other incidents, he said: ‘I wouldn’t react because I just knew it was ignorance that I didn’t need to play up to. But this happened so many times and I just don’t feel like I was protected while that happened.’
Vas had previously spoken out about the problem of ‘systemic racism’ on the show, where he was the sole black male cast member.
In a social media post, he wrote: ‘The experiences I had on the show are part of the systematic racism that for the first time has had a spotlight put on it on a global scale. This systematic discrimination starts from the top down.
‘From leadership positions within the network, to the writers room, to our day to day producers. During my Time at Towie. I only ever worked with one black producer.
‘Out of the dozens of producers I worked with; I never met one black executive, writer or anyone in a significant position of power.
‘As the show approaches its 10 year anniversary it has made me think how disappointing it is to have been the only black male cast member.’
Concluding his statement on a positive note, the TV personality wrote: ‘While I am telling my full truth, it is also important to add that I have worked with some incredible people as well.’
Vas said: ‘We’re having several meetings and I’ve been working with them for the past month or so. It’s going incredibly well. They’re doing the best they can’
Like many in the public eye, Vas has received abusive messages from trolls on his social media accounts, many of them racist and homophobic in nature.
The Tings magazine editor told how this abuse has become far worse since he recently spoke out in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
He said: ‘The abuse I have receiving online has multiplied. I’ve always had racist and homophobic messages in my DMs. I’ve always tried my best to ignore them. Since I’ve been campaigning for BLM, the messages have multiplied.
‘I have received huge amounts of death threats and racial slurs. ‘Go back to your country’ and all these type of crazy messages that I’ve showed my followers.’
Vas’ petition hopes to see anonymous profiles on sites like Instagram and Twitter banned in order to stop trolls sending people abusive messages.
Explaining his passion for the project, Vas told MailOnline: ‘I think it’s something that should have been done from the very start of social media. Having identity checks wouldn’t just help public figures, it’s helpful for everyone.
‘My nieces and nephews are a lot longer and they wouldn’t be able to handle some of the abuse that I get.
He added: ‘They’ve taken my notes on board and I’ve had a few production companies reach out to me to give help and advice around that’ (pictured in TOWIE in 2015)
‘I’m verified on Instagram because I’m a public figure but I feel like everyone should be. It’s so dangerous.
‘The amount of people who say they’ve been speaking to me on apps that I don’t use. They could be meeting up with people. You hear all of these horror stories that could be easily avoided.’
At the time of publication, Vas’ petition, which was started last week, has received more than 13,600 signatures.
He explained: ‘You only need 10,000 to get a response from the government but you need 100,000 for them to debate it.’
Asked how he personally deals with receiving horrible messages from trolls, Vas said: ‘Initially, I closed my DMs for about five weeks. I would open social media and I would get severe anxiety, almost taking my breath away.
Change: Vas has started a petition to have anonymous social media profiles and has received support from many of his friends including Rita Ora
‘It was just so nasty and so negative. Then I thought, this isn’t my responsibility, to have to ignore my message.
‘For every terrible message, there are 10 positive ones. I started sharing these messages with my followers and the response has been [they are] shocked but I’ve been dealing with this for five years.’
Vas, who also has his own mental health initiative called I Am Enough which has raised over £50,000 for black communities, said he has received support from his family members and friends including Rita Ora and fellow TOWIE star Chloe Sims.
The star added he hopes to see more well-known figures speak out against social media abuse.
He said: ‘There’s so many Love Island influencers and stars that I’m sure receive similar messages from anonymous profiles but haven’t jumped behind it yet.’
Vas’ petition can be signed at: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/332315.
Vas said: ‘I think it’s something that should have been done from the very start of social media. Having identity checks wouldn’t just help public figures, it’s helpful for everyone’