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SBS participant didn’t know Raquel was racist

A man who accommodated three of the participants from SBS' refugee reality series says he didn't realise one was a self-confessed racist.

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A man who accommodated three of the participants from SBS’ Go Back to Where You Came From says he didn’t realise one of his three homestay guests was a self-confessed racist.

Albury resident Bahati Masudi, originally from Burundi, says he didn’t realise until he watched the show on Tuesday night that Raquel Moore had told the documentary-makers she was a racist and did not like African people.

“I was shocked,” Mr Masudi tells the Sydney Morning Herald.

The homestay with Masudi’s family was the first step in the participants gaining an insight into the plight of asylum seekers. It strategically challenged them on their perceptions of resettled refugees, by emotionally bonding them with strangers and learning about their backgrounds.

Masudi said he did not like Moore’s comments but did not believe her opinions reflected the views of most Australians.

Raquel Moore has been widely criticised on Twitter, online forums and in the media for her extreme views, but voluntarily agreed to participate in the show. In the final episode last night she told producers her views had “definitely shifted” and she would no longer “judge a book by its cover.”

Next Tuesday night all six participants will appear in a post-series forum on SBS to discuss the series. Last night’s final episode pulled 600,000 viewers -the biggest ratings for SBS this year.

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  2. For the first two episodes of the series it was quite painful to watch Raquel’s ignorance on display, but I was so heartened to hear her sincere change of heart at the end of episode three. The enormous discussion that has been sparked by this series gives me real hope that there can be even a small shift in the views of many who live here who, by luck and nothing else, enjoy so much. Every single refugee I have known truly appreciates the opportunity to live in peace, to receive an education, to make a success of their lives and to contribute to the society that gave them that chance.

  3. Yes…she said herself….last night….that she had been totally spoilt….but had come down to earth….and she was really connected to that family….
    Like the old saying….if you just change one person…it has been worth it…
    I think a lot of people changed their views…
    I was not and am not racist….but I did have harsh views on those that came by boat….that has sooo changed…..I also would probably do the same thing in those circumstances…..
    We are all just a bit too comfortable with our lives…to really think how others live.
    And someone at the end said….what I say often…we do take our freedom for granted.

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