'UK Beast': Why this derogatory slur is only targeting Black women?

The term "UK beast" has been trending on social media recently, which is a slur specifically targeting black women who are being labelled loud, masculine and rude.

Nella Rose was called the slur following a spat with Fred Sirieix on I'm A Celebrity... I need to get out of here, reported BBC.

The slur equates women to animals. According to the slang dictionary Urban Dictionary, it refers to a "masculine and rude" lady.

One of the oldest uses of the phrase may be found in a 2022 viral video of a man handing out lollipops to ladies on a French street.

"Look how attractive and feminine French women are compared to beasts in the UK," was the caption accompanying it.

Its use on social media has increased in recent months, creating a discussion among black women about how they believe it is targeting them.

TikTok developer Anthonia Edomwande, who claims to have been called the word on the site several times, believes the epithet is being used to denigrate black women.

"I just feel like the terminology is just like another way for people to bring me down... it's not a nice thing to say or hear," the 20-year-old from east London said.

"I tend to get violated on my physical appearance and afro-centric features. On social media I receive it ten times more because no one knows who it is behind the screen."

She believes the phrase is based on preconceptions about loud and dramatic black women.