I'd be extremely surprised if she didn't ...

Actually, the person I feel sorry for is Erin. I bet she's making Anton's life hell right now!

Why hasn't he been sacked yet?

Is there a link to the sunday paper article?

just as he'd been given his own presenting slot on Saturday nightTV and is being lined up as Bruce's successor

whoops - career ending move there anton

1. You can never be sure that anyone who has apologised for something is truly repentant. You have to take their word for it. I would suggest though that having something you said in error turned into a front page story on the News of the World would help someone to appreciate the seriousness of what they had done.

3. If Anton had said this on TV I would totally agree, but he hasn't. Like most people who have commented on this thread I am very disappointed that Anton used that word, and that he thought it was in any way acceptable to do so. I don't think he has anything to apologise to me for though, as he did not use the word to me or in front of me.

[quote=Servalan;35844109]There must be a grain of truth in this story otherwise Anton wouldn't have apologised. It was a stupid thing to say and he has at least been quick to apologise. He also had the courage to make the comment in Lailla's company, when she could slap him down (literally, I would hope). For these reasons, the comparisons with Carol Thatcher are wrong: she refused to apologise and didn't direct the comment at the French tennis player in person. Not that will stop the Daily Heil launching a campaign to have him sacked ...
Or does Anton's apology negate this scenario? It certainly won't be enough for the Heil and its evil cohorts.

I don't understand your rant at the Mail if they do launch a campaign to have a "racist" sacked, when you anti DMs usually complaln about it being a racist paper.?????

I never really liked him, but I feel a bit sorry for him. I think it was a joke that went terribly wrong. But now with DM smelling blood it may end up badly for him.

I think it is unacceptable and he should be sacked. Matt Cutler as the male pro without a partner should replace him.

If a nobody is removed from the BB house for saying the N word, he should be sacked for saying what he said.

I also thought it was revealed that he said that he thought they had sent him a terrorist when she was revealed as his partner

I was amazed at this story when I first heard it, but now it has sunk in I can imagine Anton as being slightly old fashioned in his humour and values, to the point of inappropriate humour and language. It has made me see him in a rather different, and not that favourable, light. And their dancing - I think they lack any chemistry, and now it seems to me that maybe she just doesn't like him all that much. Anton normally has a very good relationship with his partners and this time it seems lacking.

Firstly let me say that the abbreviation of Pakistani should not be in anyone's vocabulary these days, including Anton's. He's out of touch and naive about racism. A bit like Prince Harry in fact.

But have you bothered to read the NOTW report? He is said to have made the remark in front of Laila and 15 witnesses. The only one of them that the rag (almost said "paper" there) names is Brendan Cole, but that doesn't mean Brendan made the statement to the NOTW, in fact they could have printed his name deliberately to cause trouble or deflect from the real culprit.

This vocabulary malfunction occurred a couple of weeks ago, but it's only come out now. Why?

Whoever they are, the person who talked has an agenda. What is that agenda?
- to crusade against racism?
- to make mischief, whatever the consequences?
- to harm the SCD brand, to the benefit of rivals?
- not to harm SCD at all, but to get even more people viewing?
- to distract attention from Brendan's PR problems?
- to make money by fair means or foul?
- to harm Anton's BBC career?
- to benefit from harming Anton's career?

Care to add any more? Fact is, someone heard it and told the NOTW.
Last edited by tonydancer : 04-10-2009 at 20:32

Yes I can add one........they were completely offended and horrified at what they heard........maybe they complained themselves about it at the time but when the BBC did nothing they then told a newspaper.

Has no-one posted this link yet?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8289641.stm

It's the most-read story on BBC News online at the moment.

Don't know why people who are defending this term are bothering - it's clearly offensive and unacceptable to use this word and no arguing about semantics, country names etc will make any difference.

The only question is whether Anton du Beke has done enough to make up for using such a horrible word and whether, if Laila does indeed forgive him, things should be left there.

Sorry but that's not an agenda, that's a reason. I infer that you would go for the top of my list, or else "to express something that had bothered them for two weeks"

Personally I don't think one is "completely offended and horrified" more than a week later, after an apology has been made and accepted. I think one is either a hypocrite, or has ulterior motives, as in my list.

Stupid ignoramus. This does not necessarily disqualify him from being a successor to Bruce "I have many leather-bound books" Forsyth, but, unlike Brucie, he has vugged up considerably here. I hope the nasal **** gets the boot and is reduced to Blackpool ballroom displays. Idiot.

Sometimes these stories do take a while to come out, I'd be surprised if there is any agenda behind it. It will most likely not be a fellow dancer as they are a tight-knit community, especially the originals. I doubt if it has anything to do with Brendan, he has survived the chicken incident and is immune to bad press, it doesn't bother him and the BBC welcome it as good publicity - the NOTW wouldn't have named him had he spoken out, he and Anton get on well anyway.

Perhaps someone simply told a friend about it and the message got passed on until it reached someone who saw the possibility of financial gain. Or the BBC thought with so many witnesses it was bound to come out and they chose to tell a Sunday newspaper so that it had a chance of dying down before the next round.

I've had a slip of the tongue quite a few times in my life but never has a racist slur ever slipped out.

Sorry if I offended you Sid

Perhaps you should read Iphigenia post and see what went wrong with this.
Anton apologised, Laila accepted it. It was not said in front of an audience. It was said in front of the dancers, celebs and the TANNING LADY. Perhaps it was this Lady that took the hump and reported it to the papers. This country and alot of us are to blame like to build people up and then bring them down with a bang.
When I said Anton was of mixed race sorry I meant to say he was of mixed nationality and perhaps he too has been at the end of 'non jokes'
That isn't to say he should have done the same to Laila though. Just imagine if the bosses in the know in TV land decided to bring back 'Love thy Neighbour'. What a hoohah that would cause!!! Mind you Rudolph Walker did OK out if it didn't he. That was in the good old days before the over protective PC Brigade took over.

Laila should give Anton a good kick in the goolies - he deserves it.

I agree that we can go quite overboard in the PC department but what he said I think goes beyond those perameters. It was an offensive thing to say and he really should have known better. I have always liked Anton and personally would miss him if he was dismissed from Strictly. But he would have only himself to blame.

I wonder if the delay in this matter hitting the press was caused by one of those who witnessed it expecting the BBC to handle the matter with more strictness than they chose to do?

Having been let down by the wishy washy Beeb, someone went to the press.

As I said before, I am SO disappointed in Anton for this - had it been anyone else I perhaps would have just rolled my eyes and said "no surprise, ignorant person!" - but Anton has cultivated a gentlemanly image and has been rewarded accordingly by the BBC. Are they frightened of wasting their investment in the man?

Maybe he will be voted off this coming week? What do the other pro dancers and celebs think of his comments? How do the judges feel? Are Tess and Brucie happy to work with someone who can use such a word to his partner, in front of witnesses, and fail to see the insult?

I think most people would agree that that sort of language is totally unnacceptable in modern Britain. To make this kind of error pf judgement (in his position), once is forgivable, twice is not.

Whether she apologised or not, Thatcher was not given a second chance. The inconsistency of the BBC stinks. They should make rules and stick to them. It seems to depend who you are these days.

I personally think Anton is on a very short tightrope now. One more slip and he really should be sacked.

I do not care if the informant has an agenda or not. It was reprehensible of Anton to use such language. I am undecided as to whether an apology is enough or if he should quit?

must be sacked

Carol Thatcher was sacked for a similiar incident

How many times does the Carol Thatcher comparison have to be wrongly made in this thread? You can't say " Whether she apologised or not, Thatcher was not given a second chance", because it was made clear that had she apologised she would not have been sacked. Anton has apologised, so by not sacking him the BBC are showing consistency with the way they treated Carol Thatcher. Sacking Anton would be inconsistent.

For goodness sake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last years hero (and years before that) this years candidate for the gallows!!!!!

Its done its dusted let it rest.

The more we all go on about it the worse it will get. It is now out of hand.

Someone for goodness sake get Laila's current reaction then we can all rest and get on with more important matters.

there is a war going on for god's sake!!!!!