A candidate from The Apprentice has been cut from the show after complaints over social media postings.
The Apprentice contestant Dr. Asif Munaf has been removed from tonight’s episode of the BBC2 spin-off show You’re Fired, following a series of complaints regarding alleged anti-Semitic comments.
The BBC has stated that Asif will not feature in any future content related to The Apprentice.
In a statement, the BBC said: “We can confirm that the individual concerned will not feature as a guest on any additional BBC content relating to The Apprentice.
“The Apprentice: You’re Fired! is a recorded programme which is edited and broadcast as appropriate.”
The controversy was sparked with a social media posts from Asif, which came to the BBC’s attention after The Apprentice’s filming concluded.
In response, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Marie van der Zyl said: “We are relieved that the BBC has significantly edited content relating to BBC2’s You’re Fired! concering Asif Munaf.
“We hope that the BBC will apologise publicly to the Jewish community for their handling of this sorry situation and send the people responsible for antisemitism awareness training.”
Previous scrutiny of Asif’s online activity revealed controversial comments about women and feminists.
The BBC said (via The Telegraph): “After filming had taken place, we were made aware of concerns over social media posts that Asif had made after he had left the process. As soon as we were alerted, we took immediate action and spoke to Asif in detail on this.
“Asif took part in specialised training to understand why his posts may cause offence. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment on and off screen.”
Dr. Asif said: “I apologise for any offence caused by my online content/social media. It was not my intention to offend anyone, and I am of course open to all views.
“The beliefs I hold and have shared are based on the values that I was brought up with.”
The Apprentice continues on Thursday nights at 9PM on BBC One.
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