...taken from the Telegraph online the article continues...
Anti-racism campaigners have called for Du Beke to be sacked from the BBC One show. Others have questioned why the BBC is standing by Du Beke when Carol Thatcher was sacked earlier this year for describing a black tennis player as a "golliwog".
Du Beke made the remark backstage to Laila Rouass, his dance partner, after she had a spray tan. He told her: "Oh my God, you look like a Paki." The comment was overheard by several members of the Strictly team, including fellow professional dancer Brendan Cole.
After the incident became public at the weekend, Du Beke issued an apology.
The BBC has received 63 complaints and hundreds of fans have debated the issue on the corporation's messageboards. Some said Du Beke was making a harmless joke and claimed that he was the victim of political correctness.
However, others said his behaviour was unacceptable. One viewer wrote: "Refraining from using such language is nothing to do with being politically correct. It's to do with basic human decency and treating people of Asian descent with respect.
"I'm not comfortable with Anton's continued presence in the show, especially when Carol Thatcher was sacked for making a similiarly controversial remark."
A spokesman for Hope Not Hate, the anti-racism campaign, said: "If calling someone a Paki is not racist behaviour then what is? Quite simply the programme has to ask itself: is it going to condone racism on its show, or is it going to deal with it quickly and decisively?
"The BBC took a clear line on the Carol Thatcher golliwog comment. If anything, this comment is even more offensive."
In his apology, Du Beke said: "I must say immediately and categorically that I am not a racist and that I do not use racist language.
“During the course of rehearsals Laila and I have exchanged a great deal of banter entirely in jest, and two weeks ago there was an occasion when this term was used between the two of us.
“There was no racist intent whatsoever but I accept that it is a term which causes offence and I regret my use of it, which was done without thought or consideration of how others would react.
“I apologise unreservedly for any offence my actions might have caused.”
The BBC is standing by Du Beke, a rising star at the corporation and the man tipped to replace Bruce Forsyth as Strictly host. A spokesman said the case differed from the Thatcher case because she did not make a "full and frank" apology.
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This is a racist term for all south Asians, whether they are Pakistani or not. It offends just like the N word does for people with dark skin. I find it repulsive that people talk about Pc in the same sentence as the word P**i. If someone said the word White honkey or red neck, or white b******d there would be an up roar. This is a racist term which was trivialised by Prince Harry and the British press. And used to batter and murder Asians in the UK by the BNP and NF. How sad.
ReplyDeleteWe shouldn’t make any stereotypes about anybody especially the way we look. LAILA HAD A LOT OF HUMILITY AND SELF CONTROL TO TAKE IT AND FURTHER HER CAREER BUT AT THE SAME TIME I BET SHE FELT HURT INSIDE. Don’t think she isn’t familiar with racism in the UK, she starred in Shoot on Sight; one of the best movies that highlighted racial divides in the UK post 77 and hence was never supported by the Eurocentric media. We the majority of Asians are appalled and I think anyone else who says that word are racist (scum). If you were Asian you would be offended, but obviously none of the right wing media who say PC is over the top are Asian so they just let it continue.
This word causes a division in the country like the N word does in the deep south. It needs to be treated sensitively and he should be sacked and made an example of. I bet he gets knighted by Prince Harry also another racist person. I might start making racist slants at people and then say IT WAS IN JEST I SAID YOU DRESSED LIKE A WHITE *******.
I agree that this is a word that shouldn't ever be used, and in my experience is only used in a derogatory manner.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how this develops over the next couple of days.
Laila has been quoted as saying "This happened a few weeks back, before we went on air. Since then we've settled our differences, We've been having a great time since then, so I would like to move on".