In a time when public figures often tread carefully around sensitive issues, two of Britain’s most recognizable television personalities — Dame Joanna Lumley and Rylan Clark — have emerged as unexpected voices of courage. Their recent comments on the UK’s growing migration crisis have sparked national debate, dividing opinion but earning both stars praise for their honesty and bravery.

Joanna Lumley, known for her elegance and sharp intellect, stunned audiences this week when she declared that the UK — “a small island nation” — simply “cannot feed millions.” Her words, though simple, struck a nerve. While critics accused her of being out of touch, thousands across the country applauded her for saying what many silently believe but are too afraid to express.

“Joanna’s not being cruel — she’s being real,” one supporter wrote online. “Someone finally said it.”

Meanwhile, Rylan Clark, the outspoken television host known for his quick wit and candor, made headlines of his own after describing the government’s immigration policies as “absolutely insane.” On This Morning, Rylan boldly defended the difference between supporting legal immigration and condemning illegal routes — a distinction that many politicians have avoided making publicly.

“You can be pro-immigration and still against chaos,” he insisted, a statement that instantly trended across social media.

The comments have earned both Lumley and Clark waves of backlash from critics and activists — but also admiration from ordinary Britons who feel ignored by mainstream voices. Despite facing complaints to Ofcom and intense media scrutiny, Rylan stood firm, later clarifying that his point was about fairness and balance, not exclusion.

For Lumley, her remarks echo decades of advocacy work on humanitarian issues — from refugees to sustainable development — proving her concern stems from compassion, not prejudice. She later emphasized the need for a “global approach” to migration that helps people at the source rather than overwhelming small host nations.

Yet one thing unites these two stars: neither is backing down. In an era where most celebrities fear cancellation or controversy, Joanna Lumley and Rylan Clark have done the unthinkable — they spoke their truth.

And whether you agree with them or not, Britain is talking. Loudly.

 “They’re brave enough to say what everyone’s thinking — and that’s rare these days,” one fan commented.

“I WON’T APOLOGIZE FOR THE TRUTH!”: Joanna Lumley BREAKS SILENCE on Migration — Exposing Sh0cking Facts That Leave Britain Divided and Stunned.

Joanna Lumley, the iconic star of Absolutely Fabulous, shares her thoughts on the migrant crisis, urging a shift in focus to the root causes of migration.

Joanna Lumley has given her opinion on the current migrant crisis (Image: Getty)

Absolutely Fabulous legend Joanna Lumley has given her opinion on the current migrant crisis saying a country like the UK cannot support unlimited migration. She insisited more needs to be done to improve stability and opportunities in developing countries while explaining crisis such as a lack of food, infrastructure and warfare is the driving force behind a lot of world migration. Calling for the debate around the issue to be re-focused she said: “I think we have stopped looking at what the problems are when there are these great shifts of people,” she said.

“Most people would much rather remain in their own homeland. We all have a great protection feeling to our own homeland. The reason they move is that either it cannot yield enough food for them to live on, or the warfare is such that they’re in danger of their lives, or they want a better life,” she said.

Joanna Lumley says the debate about immigration needs to be re-focused (Image: Getty)

“How are we in the world going to spread this back again so you can stay in your fabulous country,” she asked.

“You can grow crops, you can have factories and things like this, you can have schools and hospitals, everything can work here, but it must have been made safe and stable and functioning.

“You don’t get to that stage by putting up fences. You do something else. I’m not sure how it is, because the world is not thinking, always thinking keep them out, stop that, stop that, stop that.

“There’s a lovely sentence which I read over in a bookshop in Paris, it comes from the Bible, ‘And the Lord said be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise’.

Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in the UK since Labour took power (Image: Getty)

“We’ve just got to be so careful about this because everybody’s frantic about numbers,” she acknowledged. “Of course, a tiny country can’t support millions and millions of people, but we’ve got to start thinking outwards a bit more,” she said.

Her remarks come as recent official figures show 57,643 people have come to the UK by small boats since Labour took power in July last year.

The 10,000 mark of illegal migrants crossing the Channel was reached before the end of April, more than a month earlier than the year before.

In September 2025 a single dinghy brought 125 migrants to Britain – the largest number a small boat has carried across the Channel.

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