1971: Emotional EARTHA KITT interview | Late Call | Classic Celebrity Interviews | BBC Archive

Legend of stage and screen, Eartha Kitt, opens up to Ronnie Williams in an emotional interview that doesn't shy away from difficult subjects. Kitt describes her difficult childhood, being abandoned by her mother and brought up in extreme poverty, and the profound effect it has had on her life, career and her relationship with her own daughter.
The interview concludes with Eartha Kitt performing a stunning rendition of a Welsh song - Mae 'nghariad i'n Fenws (My Sweetheart's Like Venus) - that she has been practising all week.
This clip is from Late Call, originally broadcast 10 March, 1971.
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[@davicool9958]

What an articulate erudite strong feminine woman. An overall beautiful human being. I love this interview!

[@morganfisherart]

This increases my respect for this beautiful, gifted woman enormously. She stands proudly as yet another example (there are so many) of a brilliantly talented person whose childhood was horrendous, and who had to find the inner strength to deal with life, by herself, far more than people from cosy, loving homes. Bless her.

[@wojciechturek1601]

How beautiful this conversation was ❤️❤️❤️

[@MR-yf2ts]

She is so alluring! The way she speaks, and of course her words! She has a strength and grace to her ❤️

[@melclo3641]

What a mavellous woman, great interview, and she tops it off singing in Welsh, doesn't get much better.

[@andreanadorante812]

She was a very smart woman! Respect Eartha!!

[@DanielSilva-nr2cd]

That's a great woman right there.

[@danzel1157]

A beautiful woman, inside and out.

[@JacquiCryer]

Just wow what an amazing woman - such an insightful interview for 1971. I want to give her the biggest hug in the world - from a place of empathy and utmost respect ❤️ x

[@calisongbird]

What’s wrong with the title? It IS emotional

[@Vinesy68]

Beautiful woman. His questions are patronising. She was a great star who shone brightly despite all the hardship she endured.

[@GreenePod]

She truly was the most exciting woman ever

[@Tecobelli]

She was a gift.

[@drgigglesuk]

What an amazing woman!

[@Ashu9111]

Beautiful soul...I could keep listening the entire day.

[@indibhart5731]

Real stars ⭐️

[@liberate-and-express]

I don’t like the title of this interview. It doesn’t do her justice. She was so far ahead of her time and incredibly powerful in owning her own narrative.

[@fish1999onBass]

*Love Eartha Kitt **9:23* Thank you BBC

[@brettedgar6733]

EXTREMELY STRONG!

[@Sarah-ts1jh]

Eartha had been through so much, I hope she's at peace ❤❤

[@anthonyturton8091]

interesting, .and a depth of interview . I cant imagine being lucky enough to hear something this good . i think not having an audiance helps. i feel a lot warmer to her than I used to after this

[@alexandrathrift6308]

We are the audience.

[@Turquiefroide]

Absolutely wonderful

[@sarahemerson6567]

What a wonderful eloquent lady

[@annasigersmark9910]

9:42 she has the most wonderful laugh

[@raythomas4812]

what a beautiful soul

[@ptangyangkipperbang3295]

Wonderful lady.

[@TulipaBigDipa]

Bless her 🖤

[@ceeaich]

Great conversation ❤

[@markodunga7084]

Beautiful!

[@stuartsmith5308]

Intelligent person

[@ginaferracini9375]

Very sad but a very beautiful funny strong talented intelligent amazing woman r.ip 🌹❤️ Eartha kitt .

[@mestubbs]

The title doesn't hint at the emotion in Eartha's story

[@calisongbird]

The word “emotional” is literally in the title…

[@Mikeymikesanchez380]

@@calisongbird I think it was something different and they changed it

[@veggigoddess]

Search a bizarre accent for someone born in America

[@Deroliebe]

And if she was doing this interview today, the “woke” Gen Zers would cancel her. 🙄

[@unclenogbad1509]

Why? And how is it you can listen to this great human being, and THAT's all you can think of to post? Away with you.

[@LSD77777]

@@unclenogbad1509 because she would be silenced. There is nothing wrong with contrasting how our lives are now and lack of freedom and looking at a time when time was very different

[@unclenogbad1509]

@@LSD77777 Listen, Svetlana, there was a lot less freedom back then (unless the civil rights movement was maybe just a bunch of disgruntled snowflakes?). You can see from Eartha's demeanour in this interview, how careful she is with her responses, because she knows she's going to be judged on them. All this 'woke'/'cancelled'/'silenced' bullshit is for sad paranoids who've been hurt by the discovery that they can't everything their own way, handed to them on a plate. Tough luck.

[@LSD77777]

@@unclenogbad1509 eartha achieved everything if she was so oppressed it would never happen

[@almighty_milkman4883]

@@LSD77777 she told the interviewer that she wished men could feel birthing pains to understand but she is the type of woman to then turn around and find the beauty in it. There were plenty of oppressive powers at play in the 70s so they were there and they were real. That does not mean individuals or certain groups did not get together or connect on a more individual basis. I think it takes some of Eartha’a strength away to just say she would not have achieved what she did if there was oppression, so she must have faced none or little. She speaks from her heart and doesn’t have an agenda in sharing her story. She was a helpful generous soul, and I think it partially stemmed from the troubles and the trials and tribulations that relate to racial tensions. She would not be silenced I do not think because she did not say that black people are not a persecuted people, but that her heritage alone does not prevent her from having a wider world view. She also blamed religion and economics for the symptoms of prejudice. She speaks of equity and this sounds very relatable todays generation, and honestly when they told her she was a “citizen of the world” that could translate to what some people think “woke” mean. I don’t know about you, but being truly authentically “woke” would be to be like Eartha. RIP miss Kitt