Bake Off star: The Witches film will have intensely negative effect on children

Former Great British Bake Off contestant Briony May Williams has claimed the depiction of Anne Hathaway’s hands in The Witches film will have an “intensely negative effect” on disabled children for “years and years to come”.

The latest adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1983 book, which stars Hathaway as the Grand High Witch, has been accused of being insensitive towards people with limb impairments over its depiction of her character having three elongated fingers on each hand.

Both the novel and the 1990 film starring Anjelica Huston portrayed the witches as having five fingers.

Academy Award winner Hathaway and the studio Warner Bros have both since issued apologies although the depiction remains in the film.

Williams, who has a congenital defect called symbrachydactyly which affects a single upper limb, has criticised the studio.

The 36-year-old called on Warner Bros to edit the offending scenes or include a disclaimer warning viewers.

She told the PA news agency the depiction had left her “really angry and upset”.

She said: “I look at that picture and makes me feel quite sick at the fact they have used what is something so personal and sensitive for so many people to make some witch really scary and disgusting.

“It’s not even me that it upsets me for. It’s for the kids who are looking. It’s a PG film.

“What I find most distressing is that there are going to be kids going to see this or watching in their living room at home who have got hands like mine or limb differences and they are going to think, ‘Oh that’s what people think of me’.

“I was really quite worried that people were going to be, ‘Don’t be so over sensitive’ or ‘Don’t be such a snowflake’.

“Actually I am not being oversensitive. This is deeply upsetting to me that I have messages from parents all the time saying, ‘We loved seeing you on Bake Off. Thank you, my daughter has got a hand like yours and she was really pleased to see someone like her on the telly in a positive light’.

“So as much as that has a positive impact on these young people, seeing something like Anne Hathaway’s hand in The Witches is going to have an intensely negative effect.”

Williams, who appeared on Bake Off in 2018 and presents Food Unwrapped on Channel 4, said appearing on the show had helped her become proud of her hand.

She added: “(The Witches) has really set me back and I am 36. Imagine being a six-year-old or a 10-year-old or a 15-year-old. If I had seen this when I was 10 I would have been completely devastated.

“This would have had an impact on me for years and years to come.

“Yeah, OK, Warner Brothers have apologised loosely and Anne Hathaway has apologised but the fact is the film is still out there and kids are going to see it.”

Williams said she believed Hathaway’s apology was genuine but said it was “too little too late”.

She said: “The film is already out there. The damage is done in a lot of ways and a lot of the damage they have done is completely irreparable to a lot of kids and adults out there.”

British Para swimmer Amy Marren and Strictly Come Dancing contestant JJ Chalmers were among those criticising director Robert Zemeckis’ recent adaptation, saying its depiction of the witches’ hands could be harmful to people – especially children – with limb impairments.

In an Instagram post, Hathaway said she was someone who “really believes in inclusivity and really, really detests cruelty” and apologised “for the pain caused”.

She added: “I particularly want to say I’m sorry to kids with limb differences: now that I know better I promise I’ll do better. And I owe a special apology to everyone who loves you as fiercely as I love my own kids: I’m sorry I let your family down.”

Hathaway also shared a video from the Lucky Fin Project, an organisation supporting those with limb differences.

A Warner Bros representative said filmmakers were “deeply saddened” at causing upset.

The Witches also stars Octavia Spencer and Stanley Tucci.