An Ipswich businesswoman has said she was not perturbed when Trinny Woodall told her “I want to be black” on national television while admiring her skin.

Pamela Muller, who owns company Fashion Candy Style, made her debut on ITV show This Morning on Thursday as one of the models in the style segment.

When Mrs Muller appeared in a yellow swimsuit, host Holly Willoughby couldn’t believe she was 53, saying: “You look amazing, you look about 21!”

But some viewers were left in shock when Trinny, from What Not to Wear fame, added: “I want to be black because I want to have skin like that. The elasticity is there, it’s like a piece of marble.”

Speaking to this newspaper, Mrs Muller said she was “very happy” with the comments.

She added: “I think it was a genuine compliment paid as a professional.

“It has been a little bit of a talking point, but it’s fine.”

Many people took to social media to express their surprise, with some saying they could not believe what they had just heard.

Mrs Muller, who lives in Ipswich and is “Suffolk born and bred”, said she could understand why viewers might have been taken aback by Trinny’s words, adding: “That’s going to be natural”.

But she said: “I think that’s just the way society is at the moment. Things can be made to be misconstrued.”

It was the first time Mrs Muller, who uses the surname Davis for business, had been on This Morning, and she said she hoped it wouldn’t be her last.

ITV has been approached for a comment.