The Sri Lankan son of refugees was reprimanded for an insensitive use of the word ‘coloured’. A candidate on The Apprentice was reprimanded BBC bosses for a racially insensitive comment before he dramatically quit the show. Reports earlier this week suggested that, in scenes yet to be aired, the contestant had quit before he was fired by Lord Sugar after a challenge went wrong. New reports say dentist Dr Jana Denzel is the individual at the centre of the drama, and that he referred to people as “coloured” during the forthcoming episode.
Although the BBC have said the exit was unrelated to the incident, The Sun reports that Denzel was given diversity training following the remark, which was used by white American society during the height of slavery and segregation. All 18 candidates had been given strong warnings about language around race during the show’s second episode. The episode at the centre of the controversy is yet to air, but is expected to be released in a fortnight.
“It was then that Jana made the ‘coloured comment’, which particularly upset two female candidates on his team.”. The source added: “The team were particularly shocked because, coming from a minority background himself, they did not expect Jana to use such offensive language to describe their marketing campaign. “While his co-stars did push back and make it clear to Jana the comment was unacceptable, it was then escalated further when it was flagged to the production team, who pulled Jana aside.”.
A BBC spokesperson told the publication: “Jana withdrew for completely unrelated and separate reasons, and has our full support.”. Regarding the comment, they added: “We were made aware of an ill-informed comment. As soon as it was flagged, we took swift and comprehensive action to address the issue. “Whilst we have made it very clear to Jana that his use of language was not acceptable, we are confident there was no ill- intent behind it. The concerns of all parties involved have been addressed and resolved.”.
The Independent has contacted Denzel, the BBC and MGM Television for additional comment. Jana’s clientele ranges from Hollywood A-listers to Grammy award-winning musicians – and he signed up to The Apprentice as he wanted to scale up “into a national force in the dental industry, offering exceptional care and innovative products”, including his own oral healthcare product line. The son of refugees, Jana has earned three degrees and built an impressive business, but he is nervous about working and living with 17 other individuals in a competitive and intense environment.
The show, which sees entrepreneurs compete for a chance at a £250,000 investment and the opportunity to be mentored by Alan Sugar, began its 19th season last month. So far, 29-year-old gift store owner Emma Rothwell, 36-year-old hair and beauty salon owner, Aoibheann Walsh, and 30-year-old hair transplant consultant Carlo Bracanti have been unceremoniously sacked after failing to impress billionaire Lord Sugar.
