Polish TV talent show causes controversy over use of blackface for Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé impressions

A Polish TV talent show- Twoja Twarz Brzmi Znajomo (The Polish iteration of  Your Face Sounds Familiar)-  has come under scrutiny after some of its celebrity contestants used blackface to impersonate Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé.

Kuba Szmajkowski, a singer and star in his native Poland, performed Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble’ in blackface and fake cornrows.

Fellow Polish celebrity Pola Gonciarz similarly darkened her skin when performing Beyoncé’s ‘If I Were a Boy’.

Each performer posted videos of their acts online, causing outrage on social media. Neither Szmajkowski or Gonciarz have commented on the backlash.

The same talent show has previously caused controversy over its use of blackface, when actor Tomasz Ciachorowski performed ‘Stronger’ by Kanye West in 2021.

The show said in a statement they were “very surprised” by the backlash-  “The intention of each star performing on the show, as well as of the whole production team, is to recreate the original performance in the most precise manner, while honouring the original artist.”

They also underlined to charitable nature of the show- Szmajkowski, who won the episode for his Lamar impression, donated his 10,000zł prize to a children’s cancer charity in Poland.

Your Face Sounds Familiar is produced in Poland by Endemol Shine (under French parent company Banijay). The same organisation’s hits include regional versions of Big Brother, The Million Pound Drop and Masterchef.