John Barnes and Simon Woolley on Liam Neeson

He was giving an interview to try and drum up interest in his new film. Instead, Liam Neeson has prompted calls for a boycott. The Antrim actor described his reaction to the rape of a friend 40 years ago, disclosing that he’d walked the streets with a cosh, hoping to encounter a black man he could kill.

In interviews, he has acknowledged his actions were “horrible” and “awful”, but says he’s not racist. Whilst some have praised him for his honesty, others have condemned him for admitting his thoughts in public.

We talk to former England footballer John Barnes and Simon Woolley, chair of Downing Street’s Race Disparity Advisory Group.