Lord Alan Sugar, the billionaire and business magnate best known for his BBC show The Apprentice has provoked outrage on Twitter after comparing a picture of the Senegalese football team to ‘guys from the beach in Marbella’.
The BBC host tweeted a photoshopped image of the Senegal football team from yesterday’s World Cup match above fake sunglasses and knock-off handbags. The now deleted tweet said, “I recognise some of these guys from the beach in Marbella. Multi tasking resourceful chaps.”
Naturally, this blatantly racist tweet has received a barrage of criticism on Twitter. One user said “the entire joke revolves around you making a stereotype based on the colour of somebody’s skin. you’re filed pal.”
the entire joke revolves around you making a stereotype based on the colour of somebody's skin. you're fired pal.
— mike lewis (@beefchicken25) June 20, 2018
The reaction to this tweet has naturally been significant, with many calling for the BBC to step in to review his position as a BBC-paid employee.
The fact that you find blatant racism funny doesn't make blatant racism less offensive though.
— Kristian (@vonstrenginho) June 20, 2018
You're fired
— Jamie Milton (@jamiemilton_) June 20, 2018
It's like your mad uncle dropping some casual racism at a family dinner. Pure oblivious to the clanger!
— andy lynch (@andyl222) June 20, 2018
What a horrible Thing to say? Cannot believe someone in your position can say something like that!
— Rob (@robbradley01) June 20, 2018
Before his advisors could step-in, Lord Sugar even rose to some of the twitter abhorrence bait and responded. (He’s deleted these tweets now, but not before we took some screenshots):
Some of Lord Sugar’s BBC colleagues have expressed their shock at this tweet. BBC World News anchor Babita Sharma for example tweeted:
A shocking, vile tweet that you take a screen grab of because you know it will soon be deleted. pic.twitter.com/28E6SxEva7
— Babita Sharma (@BabitaBBC) June 20, 2018
He responded by saying, “if it so vile why have you retweeted it. You make me sick.” Again this tweet has now been deleted:
Half an hour after posting the tweet, Lord Sugar reluctantly tweeted that he’d removed the tweet but only because it had ‘been interpreted in the wrong way’ and that he still thought the tweet to be ‘funny’.
Just been reading the reaction to my funny tweet about the guy on the beach in Marbella . Seems it has been interpreted in the wrong way as offensive by a few people . Frankly I cant see that I think it's funny. But I will pull it down if you insist .
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) June 20, 2018
And an hour and a half after the poorly judged tweet went out (and probably after a call with his PR and legal team) Lord Sugar has apologised for the offence caused.
I misjudged me earlier tweet. It was in no way intended to cause offence, and clearly my attempt at humour has backfired. I have deleted the tweet and am very sorry.
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) June 20, 2018
It’s fair to say, he may well be brought back into the BBC boardroom and despite protestations will be on the other end of his famous catchphrase…YOU’RE FIRED.
We have contacted the BBC and The Apprentice representatives for comment.
