For the record, I didn't see any evidence of her being homophobic and she's refuted the quote that was used in the tabloids before the episode aired, so we have to take her word for it.

I don't think she said it. Obviously shows like this are edited quite heavily, but they showed Yasmina's comment about ethnic minorities so I don't see why they wouldn't show this one.

I am just watching the apprentice for the first time here in Spain, (BBC2 8-9 here ) there is nothing else on before american idol at 9pm. I have found this thread as a result of putting in mona apprentice homophobe in search agent. The reason I did this was in the first part of the programme when this girl is sitting round the table the first thing I heard her say was No I am from Kent and something like why we don't have people like that in Kent. That made me feel hello we have a homophobic woman on this programme, so aside from evereything else I have since read about her 6 year old . Let me just confirm for all you doubters, detractors and disbelievers she is homophobic.
Take care all from sunny Sitges.

It's extremely unlikely she's homophobic.

I'm sure you enjoyed your episode of the apprentice and formed certain opinions from it but a lot of us have watched the whole series, and the associated 'You're Fired' programmes and I think the majority of people here do not believe that Mona is homophobic.

By the way, your quote is quite wide of the mark. That is not even close to what she said.

Thanks I have just finished watching the one and only episode I will probably catch of these egotistical back biting people they all seem to be a nasty lot.

Just if I may say so, I cannot have been too wide of the mark when quoting as I would have had no idea who she is or the furore about other comments she is alleged to have made, before searching on the net to see the pages of entries about this.
Anyway I am off to walk the dog on the beach after American Idol.
Take care all

I would never have jumped to the conclusion that Mona was homophobic after watching last nights episode.....In fact because I`d seen this thread on DS weeks ago I sat there waiting to hear or see something that would account for the initial press reports....and...guess what?...Nothing....IMO she just did`t think the Gay re-branding idea was any good.Again, IMO she was wrong...but that does`t make her homophobic.As others have said she grew up in East Africa with a completely different culture to our own and that would account for her naivety.I still can`t quite fathom why some still think she is homophobic.

Because she is alleged to have said she would refuse to allow her child to meet a gay man. I've no idea if she did or didn't, but if the allegation is true, that's a homophobic attitude.

She is on record as having a good gay (male) friend who has often met her son so the allegation is nosensical.

I actually find people who continue to repeat unsubstantiated rumours as just plain nasty as people who are mildly homphobic and racist.

Did you miss the part where I said I had no idea if the allegations were true or not?

Allegedly....and as you say, we have no proof...so unless one of the candidates runs to the press and says she did make the remark then we should give her the benefit of the doubt.....Although Claire Balding did make a point of stating that she thought Mona was`t Homophobic...I wonder what made her say that...as there was no evidence to suggest she was on last nights show....Maybe Ms Balding has been reading this thread!!

Claire Balding probably said that because of the allegation itself - it received a fair bit of publicity a couple of weeks ago. And the fact that Mona did seem awkward on the show when it came to LGBT issues, if not homophobic per se.

That makes it worse.

You have no idea if the allegations are true so you repeat them anyway.

Yes, while saying I have no idea if they are true or not...

I now recognise that you are simply trolling, with nothing better to do than to be contrary. I'll leave you to your hobby then.

The moe allegation are repeated the more they are believed.

It is disingenuous to pretend that adding 'I have no idea if they are true or not' makes the repetition any the less scurilous.


You are the one who popped up on this forum simply to stir up trouble in threads dealing with homophobia.

You far better fit the definition of a troll.

You're assuming I'm not acting in good faith when I've gone to lengths right from the outset to make it clear that I have no idea whether the allegation is true or not.

You are most definitely a troll. Welcome to my ignore list.

I'd agree with that.

In my posts on this thread, I always was careful to use the word if, because we never had any proof besides tabloid claims, and it is clear from watching the episode and your fired, that she never actually made any homophobic statement.

I'm not sure we were watching the same show! We did not see Mona say anything that could be classed as homophobic. She simply said that she didn't think that appealing to the gay market would work, from business point of view.

In any event, I doubt that people need for you to confirm to them whether she is homophobic or not - we're pretty capable of making up our own minds.

A troll is someone who comes to a group to stir up trouble.

I've been here since the start of the series.

You arrived yesterday and seem pretty intent on stirring up trouble.

It will be interestin to see if you actually make some constructive posts on this forum now that you have had your arguments.

Yes, tghandh I think the transmission signal is modified for international viewers. Having watched the episode in various countries, each further away from the UK, Mona's homophobia becomes stronger with each step.
In Portugal she is mildy homophobic, by Antigua she is relatively homophobic and by Patagonia she is raging against homosexuality like a bible belt preacher and burning crosses in rural Kent(she is quite possibly a racist by this point).
Having viewed this episode in all these countries I can agree with you that she is a homophobe and wishes she was on the beach in Tazmania where she is from and where homosexuality is not allowed in humans but only in penguins unlike sunny Sitges where homosexuals live with abandon day and night in the forests and plains of that land.

Homophobia isn't just about what you say though, it's also how you act. It's the same with any kind of phobia, people don't necessarily go around bad-mouthing spiders but that doesn't mean they take it in their stride when they find one in their bath.

I really didn't see anything in the episode for which Mona deserves to be lambasted (or indeed a thread of this length) but she was clearly quite uncomfortable with the idea and with being around gay people, which is almost certainly down to homophobia. James was hinting at this without actually saying it in the boardroom. The difference with this sort of latent homophobia is that it is essentially harmless and doesn't affect gay people in any major way - it's a really just a problem the person has within themselves. Indeed, Mona was fired because she didn't get behind it - she lost out because of what would appear to be a prejudice. But nary a gay person in the world was remotely affected by this. It's quite poetic justice really.

I agree with what you're saying about homophobia, but I didn't see evidence of it from Mona

There was certainly nothing offensive as far as I was concerned.

I think the reason for Mona's reaction to the gay theme was that it would be very risky to do and it was a subject that she had little knowledge of.

I don't get how one minute the idea was made out to be a bad idea, but then it was suddenly judged as a good idea that they should have pushed further.

Judging by the mayor of Margate's comments on the theme on 'You're Fired' it's clear that Mona was right and it wasn't suitable for Margate. Not because people think it's wrong but because it only covers a small number of people and leaves the others out.

I really am encouraged by all you straight people standing up for my feelings, but please can you reserve your criticism for people who are actually homophobic?

I don't know about that, in fact most places that are considered very "gay friendly" attract all sorts of people - Brighton, San Francisco, Manchester, Paris, Barcelona... Manchester is probably the best comparison because it can't rely on great natural beauty (and I'm a Manc, I'm allowed to say that!) but it still attracts a huge gay crowd without being to the detriment of a wider demographic. You can share a beach with gay people, we don't bite!

And indeed, Sir Alan himself said that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the idea, and that everyone was largely behind it, it was just the execution that was the problem.