Hear,hear.

Point proven .

I don't trust much the paper prints but one thing is true and that was his racist joking to his partner. On that alone, I can't stand the man personally. Why is everyone conveniently forgetting that that at least is fact?

I do like Katie though and wish her luck

Glad you included that bit, most regurgitations don't.
I would say that it was an unfortunate remark that got blown out of all proportion. It was not intended as racist and Laila did not take offence as no offence was intended. But oh how folk like to bring it up time and time again and make it out to be something it really wasn't.

It was also something he genuinely apologized and was forgiven for.

Maybe to you but I haven't a clue what you are on about.

Twice. He messed up twice with 'unfortunate' remarks. Hardly blown out of proportion, it was what it was. Which was funnily enough racism, however you wish to paint it or sweep it under the carpet. And iirc Laila was not not happy and neither were witnesses to it.

How would any of us know if it were indeed genuine or a PR piece? We don't.

He used the word - to me the fact that it's even in his vocabulary means I can't have any respect for him.

I see the DM has an expanded version now.

What trashy journalism, yet another cut and paste, slightly rearranged hatchet job. The Sun could not recognise a fact if it walked up to them blew a raspberry in their faces and beat them with a wet kipper!

Just his working-class banter showing through, at odds with the formal ballroom world he's supposed to be in. Doesn't mean he belongs to a white supremacy group any more than the rest of the blue-collar blokes in the warehouse do.
I don't think he's a liberal metropolitan neurotic who gets hung up on language off-screen. It's not Clare In The Community.

There are many workplaces now where vocabulary like that isn't regarded as "working class banter" any more but a disciplinary offence.

I think the BBC should be one of them.

Anton doesn't peel his own satsumas, eh? It gets worse - I've heard Len doesn't even pickle his own walnuts...

Bit it isn't NOW - it was 2009. People who are jailed for for worse crimes than that have done their penance in less time than 6 years, but let's keep harping on about it to keep the vitriol going.

Things that were considered OK 4 years ago aren't now, so please just let it drop - everyone knows it happened and don't need constant reminders from those who just don't like him and keep trying to justify why and persuade others to their point of view.

And importantly, he apologised unreservedly, she accepted his apology. That was the end of the matter.

I added a paragraph after you replied.

And I fully agree with that last paragraph.

I think more to the point to people of Anton (and my) age group the word wasn't in any way taboo when we grew up, any more than calling someone from Scotland a "Scot" would be. And as you say its use is far more likely to reflect that than any ingrained racist attitudes. He didn't use it to give offence, he apologised unreservedly when he realised he had, the "victim" has long since forgiven and forgotten (and AFAIK is still his good friend) so the idea that six years later other people are still taking offence and demanding retribution on her behalf because someone made an ill-judged passing joke is simply ludicrous.

I tried to make these points in another thread earlier in the series, but was roundly criticised by professional offence takers.
For some people no apology will ever be enough, and there will be no time limit on the need to keep raking it all up again.

I'm older than Anton and it wasn't acceptable when I was growing up.

I've been with my company for nearly 12 years and use of that sort of language has always been a disciplinary offence.

I'm not demanding retribution. I'm simply saying I have no respect for him and I think I'm entitled to that view. Others aren't compelled to share it.

I'm finding the focus us on him getting to his first final utterly tedious anyway.

I don't know where you grew up or where your company is, but where I and many others grew up and worked, it wasn't considered offensive even to our friends who were of a different ethnicity to ourselves. It was considered just part of daily banter and they would trade comments with us. It would be considered offensive now just as some of Enid Blyton's characters now are even though they are of their age.

Why can't you just accept that we all have different experiences and we are all entitled to our view too. I think everyone should accept an apology when it's given and move on. If we all hung on to past insults that have been apologised for, the world wouldn't be worth living in.

As for the focus on him getting to his final, I assume that if you have children or a partner you don't show appreciation to them if they've finally achieved something they've been trying to do for several years. Shame.

I'm considerably older than you, having been retired for many years. I guess tolerance comes with age.

Yes we all have different experiences and different views. I made it clear that I didn't feel anyone was compelled to share my views.

I don't anticipate finding Anton and his attitude in general something I can respect whatever age I reach.

Evidently we shall have to agree to differ.

It's amazing how people will try and justify something of a forum favourite is involved. I can only imagine the outcry if a Clifton had said the same thing, and rightly so. The fact that Anton thought that kind of language was acceptable says a lot, in fact it's not been acceptable to call someone the P word for at least the past 30 odd years.

The man is an idiot and I will rejoice when he leaves Strictly. Why all this fuss about him being an original? Brendan is still there isn't he?

BIB That's how I remember it too! Both ways and genuinely was just banter. The word may have been in his mind but it does not mean it was there as an insult.