ANTON 'PAKI' SLUR

I feel deeply for those who feel they are being attacked for there race, creed or culture but, it also seems that the more that multiculturism is being embraced in the uk the more the pc card is being played, which does nothing to bring us together as equals.

I have been called a jock, jimmy,scotty, killty, and a pape. I have even had my scottish money refused in an English postoffice and in several EU countries while on holiday and I know when I was younger I was refused jobs and promotions because of my surname and the assumption as to my religion and country of origin, it is not just people of a certain skin colour who can be hurt or offended we all can.

But as many others have said Anton is not a racist, a little ignorant of the present times maybe and a little short on social skills but does he deserve to have his life ruined, I think not unless we are to also embrace exstreamism and maybe we can have people deported to some of our uninhabited islands.

I think we should all let it blow over now and live and let live.

peace!

By dizzy.. Posted October 24 2009 at 7:54 AM.

It does not matter what colour a person's skin is. To the vast majority of people in this country it is irrelevant. However, a too thin skin is not endearing.

By Janet Russell.. Posted October 11 2009 at 11:42 AM.

These pc people need to get a life.
It's a shame that their lives are so sad that they have to jump on the band wagon.

By Chris Harding.. Posted October 11 2009 at 9:38 AM.

we all need to chill and lose the sensitivity a little or else we will soon have, fatism, thinism, tallism, shortism, uglyism,etc etc etc

By c. scott.. Posted October 10 2009 at 8:03 PM.

Anton made a tasteless joke, no malice was intended. He has made a humiliating public apology. This feeding frenzy does nothing to help race relations. It has just stirred up a lot of ill feeling on all sides. Let it drop before more damage is done.

By Janet Russell.. Posted October 10 2009 at 1:01 PM.

Yes, Anton should not have said the P word, but surely the vitriol which is being spilled out on this post theme against Anton is just as bad. It is just as uninformed and ignorant of these people to vilify Anton not having been present themselves at the incident, as it is of racists who castigate people from different racial origins without knowledge or experience of those origins. If you all think his behaviour was reprehensible, please re read your posts and look at some of the aggressive and bullying language being used, based on assumptions and prejudice.

By Strictlcy PC.. Posted October 9 2009 at 7:46 PM.

I am a Pakistani educated in UK.My only advice to Indian and Pakistani friends living in UK, yes you can be British with British citizenship, yes you may be fluent in English,yes you may look down on Indians and Pakistanis living in the sub-continent as people from the stone age but sadly the cruel reality is British passport cannot change your race.So stop being so sensitive to such slurs.

By TARIQ.. Posted October 9 2009 at 8:02 PM.

This really does annoy me. I am welsh and i have no problem with people calling me a taffy or a brit. What is the difference. This country is so politically correct over everything. It really is pathetic!

By Shane.. Posted October 8 2009 at 9:32 PM.

It is absolutely disgusting what he said. It is a racist term and it baffles me how people think they can be used in jest. I feel sorry for Laila because she has been humiliated by him, yet as an adult she will have to be strong and put his comments out of her mind.

It is not acceptable that he apologises and is allowed to continue, Laila should be shown more respect. He should be sacked, it should be demonstrated that there is no place for him on the show or amongst decent humam beings.

By Angel.. Posted October 8 2009 at 8:03 PM.

Ok...if people think there's nothing wrong with the p word I challenge you to say that to the first Asian person you come across. Better yet, tell your kids it's ok and tell them to say it at school. Go to work tomorrow and great your Asian colleagues in this manner. What? No? How come? It's harmless, right?

Didn't think so you bunch of hypocrites - you know it's offensive just showing your true colours!

By English Rose.. Posted October 8 2009 at 7:42 PM.

To all these people who think he should lose his job, get real and find something worthwhile to complain about, or in fact stop complaining at all...it's boring!

By Joanne.. Posted October 8 2009 at 5:58 PM.

Oh for heaven's sake! This has been blown out of all proportion. It was a joke between friends, it was not meant in an insulting or racist way. Brucie's comments today hit the nail on the head - good for him for talking such sense.

By Whitie.. Posted October 8 2009 at 1:29 PM.

Get a life you wacko's. OOOps, sorry, won't call you that again. WTF.

By Bernard.. Posted October 8 2009 at 1:23 PM.

Its so difficult to keep up with all this political correctness I'm afraid to say anything these days I'm sure its all designed to take peoples mind off the real problems in this society like the new Tory policies of work till you drop but of course its only for the working classes while rich Tories are above real work.

By Steve.. Posted October 8 2009 at 12:54 PM.

offence is taken by yourself! If you don't mind, the joke is on him

By robert janssens.. Posted October 8 2009 at 11:49 AM.

For having made two "racist" insults towards his partner, I think Anton should be sacked from participating in this show. Disgraceful, but not shocking that such a comment has been made. When will people in the spotlight get a clue and stop shooting their mouths off, and expect to be let of lightly, because of their celebrity position. Get rid of this this piece of slime.

By Modelspiceuk.. Posted October 8 2009 at 11:17 AM.

Richard, I totally agree with you, having worked where the majority of people were of a different nationality to myself and being subjected to much racist behaviour, where they took great pains to make me feel like the outsider... Feelings between people in this country over this kind of issue are only going to get worse i think if people keep choosing to make something out of comments like antons said in jest or just without thought but no malicious intent, especially when sincerely apologised for. Like someone said earlier, that if he or someone had made a comment about a white person, they wouldn't even make it an issue.

By tranquility.. Posted October 8 2009 at 12:05 AM.

If only people were so passionate about the more important things going on these days.

By Lord Nelson.. Posted October 7 2009 at 11:06 PM.

We all know Anton should have not said what he did, but so does he. He has apologized and laila has forgiven him so that should be the end of it. I also would not watch strictly if Anton was sacked. It would appear that every year now there is always some controversy when Strictly is on, and it is spoiling a great show that should be enjoyable. If its not poor Alesha getting slated its Anton. Leave them alone and lets move on.

By Melanie .. Posted October 7 2009 at 4:43 PM.

yeh the the p word is a racist comment but it is also an urdu word and it means cleansiness. so if some one would say it to me out of ignorance like anton did to laila then i would jus say thank you i am very clean unlike you and your mouth.

By safiya.. Posted October 7 2009 at 3:35 PM.

You don't have to be white to be racist. With this in mind, I think some of the posters here should be mindful of how stupid their comments sound. I hope the irony is not lost on them.

By Rich.. Posted October 7 2009 at 2:38 PM.

Get over it, white people have to endure all sorts of name calling and it's our country, if she was white it wuldn't even have been mentioned. No wonder people are leaving th country in droves

By Susan.. Posted October 7 2009 at 2:01 PM.

I think Anton should be sacked after his comments.

It makes me feel sick to my stomach to hear the comments that insensitive people can think of as a 'joke'. If it was so funny why didn't his colleagues join in or laugh?

Laila won't have a chance of winning now as she will always feel uncomfortable around him and this will show as they dance. She is a credit to herself for being so professional and continuing with him as a dance partner.

By Gill.. Posted October 7 2009 at 9:58 AM.

The fact that it was 'made in jest' does not make this remotely acceptable. It exposes his true ignorant and under-educated attitude. People can see that and for this reason have taken offence.

I genuinely didn't realise there were people like him still around. Absolutely disgusting.

By noneOfyourBiz.. Posted October 7 2009 at 4:33 AM.

For gods sake the lot of you just get a grip. There are far worse things happening and you are all suckered into a worn out debate. Start focussing on what is truly important not what the media want us to think is important - stop being mind controlled and manipulated!!!

By Annabel.. Posted October 7 2009 at 1:41 AM.

nice one anton ! im sure the BNP think highly of you ! please sack him BBC .. or this that too much to ask

By ismail .. Posted October 7 2009 at 12:14 AM.

I am asian of origin and find that the P word is particularly derogatory. Historically the word has been associated with P*** bashing and for people like myself who grew up with racism find it offensive and yep it does bring back memories.
Ironically I find it equally offensive that asians call each other P*** as almost as a term of endearment. - Are they trying to dilute the offence factor?? I know a lot of people say its only a word but, historically it has always been associated with racism. On a different note the swastika deemed a racist symbol and even when used a 'joke' cue Prince Harry at a fancy dress party was enough to offend thousands. People should think twice about using language/behaviour that may offend individuals.

By Khadija in Cambridge.. Posted October 6 2009 at 5:58 PM.

This is completely insane. I have had to put up with racist comments all my life, most have been out of spite and hatred. This is clearly not the case, you people that are claiming such outrage are actually going to cause so much more damage than good. The man apologised, leave it at that, you are positively playing into the hands of much worse people who would use this as a platform to create bigger divides.

By jackson.. Posted October 6 2009 at 1:05 PM.

I agree - grow up, its only a word and was not meant in any bad way
Anywat whats the betting that loads of people complainining about du bec have also complained about "The PC brigade"
you cannot have it bith ways!

By felix.. Posted October 6 2009 at 1:21 PM.

This man is clueless. And he says it to a womans face. As long as he is on this programme, he is boycotted in my household.

By Lee.. Posted October 6 2009 at 12:37 PM.

Anton is, as somone here has already said, clearly uneducated as to the ways of the world and different races. He's a typical rich boy from a (I gather) rich family. He said it in jest, clearly didn't mean it in a nasty way, get over it. I still love him!

By Leanne.. Posted October 6 2009 at 11:15 AM.

I don't think Anton is a racist- his dad was Hungarian and his mother is Spanish but he is very ingorant and damn rude! racist slurs are never acceptable NEVER i find when racist slurs are used and downplayed as a joke it takes away the seriousness then when incidents like this happen people claim its "ok" no it bloody isnt. Lets face it somewhere back down the line the world was used to cause offense

Racism is not OK and anyone arguing saying Anton was ok in saying the P word is a racist in my book

By Chantal.. Posted October 6 2009 at 10:10 AM.

SACK ANTON - NO QUESTIONS, JUST GET RID!

By Harveen.. Posted October 6 2009 at 9:48 AM.

I think the comments are becoming more entertaining than the show.Much ado about nothing. Cheers!

By robert janssens.. Posted October 6 2009 at 1:16 AM.

The problem with us human is that we sometimes forget the things of the past. The P word and others Such as N words are part of a time when the people being referred to with such words were treated like second class citizens. Time has change but those words still leave a sour taste in the mouth and its a reminder of the struggle and suffering some certain "P" and "N" has to endure before they were given recognitions to be treated as human being. So for all of you who are ignorance as to why its not a word to be used lightly go and ask those people who were treated like animals all because they wanted better life for themselves and their family. Taking into consideration a comment about the immigration situation that someone wrote - People come to the UK to make enough money for their family or enough to help set up a business in their homeland. Many immigrants do not like the lifestyle nor the cold of UK. Ask around and you will find at the end of the day they all want to go back to their homeland. So basically people such watch and think before they speak out of ignorance!

By Kaydee.. Posted October 5 2009 at 11:11 PM.

I am sick of people feeling that to use such words in this day and age should'nt matter....all i can say to this is for every derogatory name there is for a person of colour there is equally one for a white person and you rarely ever hear it been used

By Niyot.. Posted October 5 2009 at 9:17 PM.

I honestly can't believe people on here are condoning what he said. Blaming 'political correctness' is a cop-out of the ignorant. Whether this lady is of Pakistani origin or not (she's not, as far as I can glean) is completely irrelevant. People replying with the come back 'i don't complain when people call me a Brit' are talking absolute nonsense. The term 'Brit' has NEVER been used as a derogatory term used to insult or subjugate people for centuries. And the 'sticks and stones' argument is total crap as well, the bottom line is why would you want to use a term that might upset your intended recipient? It's called consideration, people. You might not find it offensive but some people do - so shut your gob and think before you speak.

By Nic Jones.. Posted October 5 2009 at 8:25 PM.

Sack him. No place for racism.

By cath adrian.. Posted October 5 2009 at 6:30 PM.

Aren't we all getting too carried away with political niceness? Should I get all upset if someone calls me a Brit?!
I don't know why he even needs to apologise.

By Nick.. Posted October 5 2009 at 6:51 PM.

celebs should be careful of what they say! it astonishes me to read about some people saying that it is only a slur, however this slur is associated from past when the NF use to go p... bashing.. These sensitive times people should be trying to build good cummunity cohesion, unless your a racist!! He must go! we have to be fair to big Ron.

By kazi.. Posted October 5 2009 at 4:55 PM.

So what if Anton made a remark , if it was the other way around , nothing would be said . I wonder who is complaining , as if we didn't know !!
Kick on Anton !
Your the best in the show !

By mike.. Posted October 5 2009 at 4:17 PM.

for goodness sake! so it was a slip of tonque by
him so what, I'm deaf, and believe me the names
I've been called. my point is, its getting too political
correctness for my liking, having to watch what you say and do incase big brother is listening!

I for one say it's not a sackable offence, he's said sorry for goodness sake.............

By Helen.. Posted October 5 2009 at 4:06 PM.

For crying out loud, get a grip people he said P*** big deal..as a Black woman with Caribbean heritage I must say I 've come across more racist attacks fron the asian community than anyone else.

If you knew what asians are really like they don't even like themselves thay have there own class, they sepaerate themselves from other asians.

Same with the Caribbean...I love my heritage and I love who I am but you get stupid ignorant fools who seperate themselves from who they are anyway.

Thats why Anton is so uneducated when it comes to different races.
He needs to go and venture out more.

We live in a crazy ignorant world people.
Even Obama becoming president can't change racist opinions.

By Foxy.. Posted October 5 2009 at 12:49 PM.

Great attitude Anton! Racist and spineless! More and more of us think bad language and offensive comments are down to the hypersensitivity of others. That's simply not true. We have a responsibility and a precedence to set in the world. We are failing our future generations by not changing our ways. Colour is something out of date and nasty people see. Not the new generations.
I wish the BBC would use some of our license fee to get rid of trash like Anton.

By Rita.. Posted October 5 2009 at 12:38 PM.

We all make remarks like this,without realizing they are diminuative or racist. Some people get offended too quickly. The guy only tried to be funny. Get real!

By robert janssens.. Posted October 5 2009 at 11:39 AM.

get over it?

By alan.. Posted October 5 2009 at 6:09 AM.

october is black hero month,if we even suggested a white hero month,or music of white origin awards I wonder what would happen ,nuff said, BNP are getting stronger because of this ,

By THE GREY MYSTERY.. Posted October 5 2009 at 4:09 AM.

The BBC should be ashamed of themselves for not sacking him! I will be boycotting Stricty Come Dancing until he is removed. Its disgusting to think that these comments are allowed to be made without repercussions.

By Ash.. Posted October 5 2009 at 2:00 AM.

I didn't expect The Sun to also be PC controlled,
but again, everything about the GB is going that way sadly. Hence you won't publish my last comments.

By Minaz.. Posted October 5 2009 at 1:52 AM.

Its the idiots that want blood every time anybody says anything like this that do far far more damage to race relations than the original harmless remarks. They are the ones who are breeding race hatred, not Anton Du Beke or Jade Goody or the like. This is supposed to be a free country where we should not have to be constantly on our guard against slips of the tongue but if anyone should be silenced it is these intolerant idiots.

By Nigel .. Posted October 5 2009 at 2:45 AM.

If he can use the P word so easily in public i wonder what he says behind closed doors. The BBC need to set an example. They are a globally respected institution. Get rid of him. It's easy to apologise afterwards. I knew something wasnt quite right with their chemistry. I will never look at that man in the same light.

By marcus miller.. Posted October 5 2009 at 2:31 AM.

its a tragedy , name calling or a racist slur is not acceptable in any form. bbc is a respected worldwide it should impliment zero tolorence, victims usually suffer in silence.

By vallywilson.. Posted October 5 2009 at 1:34 AM.

Interesting how if Jonathan Ross had said this he would of got sacked!!!!
That Anton is so arrogant he looks like a pelican!!!

By Ricky Phillips.. Posted October 5 2009 at 1:00 AM.

lebaling someone as a "terrorist", thats over the top. Why doesn't he just stereotype his ownself, what a looser!!!

By Rosey.. Posted October 5 2009 at 12:18 AM.

I hope the BBC, will sack Anton Du........
If they do not, the BBC and the highly paid, managers are of the same????????????????

By CARLOS SANTOS.. Posted October 5 2009 at 12:15 AM.

who's idea is it to envelope racist language. talk about social cohesion, integration, etc.... do ethnic minorities ever demand such measures or they are idealised. our own institution building categorizes people and as a result such terms like this are a product of our own making. Indians and other groups do not come to the UK and demand not to be called as such.

By windsor.. Posted October 4 2009 at 11:28 PM.

who cares? if she has grey hairs or not. she is way to skinny. its so unhealthy. ... good luck with the greay hairs though.

By bob meakin.. Posted October 4 2009 at 11:10 PM.

Anton du Beke has a quirky personality and I daresay his comment was meant as a joke rather than to be offensive but he was very tactless and should think before he speaks. He's in the public eye and should therefore behave more responsibly.

By Gellybaby.. Posted October 4 2009 at 10:37 PM.

And yet again the BC fails miserably in dealing with its 'stars' and their revolting attitudes and mouths. How on earth are we to maintain any respect whatsoever for the BBC given how inept they are at managing these situations.

By Former BBC supporter.. Posted October 4 2009 at 9:38 PM.

In the last series one of the judges called John Sergeant 'a dancing pig' but he didn't squeal.

By Doug... Posted October 4 2009 at 7:41 PM.

I am of indian origin, born and raised in Wales. I always get asked if I a half white and half.. "something". I dont mind that at all, once I got called the n word, which was quite funny, as it shows how sheltered some welsh people are. If someone called me the p word, I would find it offensive unless it was one of my friends, as we joke about racial issues. If they did not know me and called me the P word, I would be hurt, as I know the P word is used to demean someone and make them think they are not british and dont belong here.

By mili.. Posted October 4 2009 at 6:50 PM.

I was a child of the 70s and taught the rhyme when I was called names "sticks and stone may brake my bones but names will never hurt me" I appreciate that the P word is considered racist, but really, aren't there more important things to be concerned about in the world other than name calling.

By Sam.. Posted October 4 2009 at 6:29 PM.

Look I don't mind the term when I am with my mates I am of Indian heritage and my boyfriend is white and we make jokes like that to one another.

But if I don't know you or you say that to me as it does happen still-I find it extremely hurtful demeaning and quite frankly I think that the person is a complete an utter idiot. Different people take it differently.

But that word does cut right through. Just because my skin is a different colour doesnt make me any less english than you. I was born and raised here just like my parents I am proud of my heritage, but you cannot say things like that. He should know being in the public eye he has to watch what he says. Fair enough he has apologised. But really dont be daft and use any term be it to offend scottish people irish people welsh etc, as some find it offensive.

By ally.. Posted October 4 2009 at 6:16 PM.

Dont open the floodgates people... whats wrong is wrong and i hope he gets sacked

By lukep.. Posted October 4 2009 at 5:21 PM.

Anton may not be racist, but he has demonstrated that he is ignorant.She's not Pakistani!He needs to go on a race sensitivity training course, sounds like he needs it.

By Derrick Elliston.. Posted October 4 2009 at 5:16 PM.

Ron Atkinson was dismissed from his job by ITV when he made a racist comment. Will the BBC meet that standard? Nothing less would be acceptable in the eyes of this license fee payer. If this individual had used the "n" word, would the NOTW's readers be quite as forgiving.

By Paul.. Posted October 4 2009 at 5:11 PM.

regardless of ppl thiking this is a mountain out of a mole hill its gotta be good for one good for all jade goody got demolished for making racist comments i rekon he should be booted off

By san whiteford.. Posted October 4 2009 at 4:47 PM.

No! The word is used and was used in the past to cause offence to people with brown skin, regardless of their origin and some fought in the British army. The N word is not just used to offend people from Nigeria or Niger, it's to offend the black race. The comment about 'we were bought up to use it,' reflects how some people enjoy living in the past! Anton de Berk, you know she's out of your league, like a child you spit venom at what you can't ever have!!

By bal bhangal.. Posted October 4 2009 at 5:00 PM.

A minor error of judgement met with a massive over-reaction. Get over it.

By Chris Froughton.. Posted October 4 2009 at 4:09 PM.

has anyone stopped to think that all this making a mountain out of a molehill will only serve to cause further division/ anger/ hatred etc.
that's right out of this will come more racism.

it wasn't something that happened on tv, this was something between two people and anton apologised to her for any offence he may have caused. Why not have left it there?......

By james g.. Posted October 4 2009 at 4:07 PM.

But Brendan Cole calling judge Craig 'Aussie idiot' seems acceptable. Why?

By Zara
.. Posted October 4 2009 at 4:12 PM.

As a British person with a Pakistani background, "P***" is a derogatory word, the correct term for people from Pakistan is Pakistanis. How would a white person feel being called H***y? both words are totally unacceptable. You cannot compare words such as Brit or Scots etc as they were not created by a bunch of racists. As for Anton, if he has made this comment and has genuinely apologised, then lets forgive and forget and hope people can educate themselves.

By Armaan.. Posted October 4 2009 at 3:40 PM.

yes i do believe the 'p' word should be deemed as being racist there is no room for that sort of behaviour it is ridiculous how the disrespect of an entire race can be seen as being normal...if you do then your the one that needs to get a grip

By D... Posted October 4 2009 at 3:38 PM.

Sean I am also in the Police, and it's people such as you, which i must add are a very small minority that give the Police a bad name. You need educating and too be honest sacking. There is no room for racists within the Police. The term P*** was something used in the 1960's to refer to Pakistani's in a derogatory manner.

By Equality.. Posted October 4 2009 at 3:51 PM.

i just dont get it how can you think someone insulting an entire race be seemed as normal i'm black and i wouldnt want to be called the 'n' word i know its the same they wouldnt want to be called the 'p' word how can u sit back and class this as normal it is not and i just feel sorry for the next generation that is hearing this filth

By David Harrison.. Posted October 4 2009 at 3:47 PM.

Anyone who is rascists would be very careful as to the way they spoke. Anton would never have chosen his partner to hurl abuse at her. We need to stop worrying about what we can and cant say in our country and lighten up. We have (like it or not) been brought up to use this word.

By M... Posted October 4 2009 at 3:54 PM.

You can argue all you want about it being an offensive term or not, but that's always been the intent behind the word. Some people will get offended; some won't.

However, there isn't a way to make it sound correct at all. His intent was to insult. If he didn't intend to insult her, he would have said something that was actually funny.

I have a friend who is mixed race, and she quite often gets called a p***. Is it because they think she is a Pakistani? Nope. They just want to hurl a racist word and it's the one that comes to mind first.

Being mixed Indian/Morocan, she has probably heard that racist term more than a few times over the years. It could be that it just brought back bad memories.

By John.. Posted October 4 2009 at 4:02 PM.

This is not alright. To belittle the offense caused by using racists terms by saying that it was a joke is the oldest and saddest excuse around. He seems like a bigot and should have a serious rethink about his values.

By James.. Posted October 4 2009 at 4:01 PM.

I've been called worse.People should get over their silly sensibilities it's becoming monotonous.

By Carol Taylor.. Posted October 4 2009 at 3:22 PM.

When anyone calls another a nasty name ,it is for the name calling to be most effective.If this P word just slipped out as some may want to think,Its because he talks that way in general.No excuse.It some of the reason that people fall out with other.

By cindy.. Posted October 4 2009 at 3:06 PM.

Lets face it DuBeke does not seem to be a racist. He has used a word that was common when he was a boy.

It was not deemed offensive then but is now. He has apologised and hopefully will learn from his mistake.

However given decisions made by the BBC recently for consistency he should be severely censored and lose his place on the show as indeed Carol Thatcher did on the One Show

By 1701sdc.. Posted October 4 2009 at 2:41 PM.

When I had a fake tan it turned out to be a bit too dark and when I asked my son what he thought of it he told me I looked like a leather handbag.If Anton had said something along those lines he would probably not have got into so much trouble.

By Rita Cocking.. Posted October 4 2009 at 2:15 PM.

Let's get something clear folks.

The P word is not an abbreviation of Pakistani in the same way Brit is an abbreviation of British.

It was a term used by the National Front in the 1970s to insult Asian people.

Everyone knows the word is racist and totally unacceptable. Those bigots quacking "PC gone mad!" and telling the rest of us to get a life, try learning some respect and getting some morals.

By Fit Lad.. Posted October 4 2009 at 2:23 PM.

Sean as a police officer you should know that if the person to whom the remark or any person who hears the remark deems it to be racist then it should be treated as a Racial Incident.

I feel your comments seem to infer that you are in need of an Equal Opportunities Course as your views seem to be at odds to those of all Police Authorities

By 1701sdc.. Posted October 4 2009 at 2:37 PM.

Is it my imagination or does Anton De Beke only ever open his mouth to change feet?

By Rita Cocking.. Posted October 4 2009 at 2:27 PM.

The whole country has gone mad! I'm in the police and have to deal with racist incidents every day! This isn't one if them, just an excuse for people who have nothing better to do than moan! This PC stuff needs to be sorted asap! I was informed the other day by a teacher friend that children at primary school are not allowed to sing baa baa black sheep anymore cause it's racist! What rubbish! This country is a joke, as was antons comment

By Sean.. Posted October 4 2009 at 1:29 PM.

All these ultra PC people on here get over yourselves! I have a Polish surname, had the 'pee' taken out of me at school all the time. Did I go on bleating about it being racist? Of course not. Did it have any long lasting psychological effect on me? Of course it didn't. I get called 'Polski Plumber/Builder'/etc etc nowadays too. Is it offensive when said in jest, of course it bloody isn't. You cannot say anything these days without some leftie liberal (ooh I've offended someone there) saying that your racist, homophobic, fascist, sexist, anti-religion etc. A ridiculous state of affairs.

By Anna.. Posted October 4 2009 at 1:32 PM.

Being called the 'P' word is not the same as being called a Pom, Brit or a Scot. People need to get real that it is an insult to be called a P, you can tell by Laila's reaction. However, I do accept that Anton made a mistake and it sounds like he has apologised over his mistake and that we should move on. He probably said it to be humorous and it backfired. People always go on about Political Correction taking over people's lives but I for one am glad that most people now know that the P word is offensive. I don't care what people think in public but I don't want to hear stuff like that in public.

By Subahu.. Posted October 4 2009 at 1:32 PM.

GET A GRIP. GET A LIFE.

By Nikki.. Posted October 4 2009 at 1:51 PM.

Many people are saying that this is the 'PC brigade' up to their usual tricks again, but the fact is he said the P word and Laila Rouass was offended enough by it to walk out and go home, that says a lot. His comments are based on ignorance and he should be made to leave the show. Racism should be treated seriously and as a public figure people should see that it is taken seriously, the BBC need to show some consistency, if they get rid of Carol Thatcher they should get rid of Du Beke.

By KittyKat.. Posted October 4 2009 at 1:37 PM.

It was a silly slip of the tongue and I'm sure he's learnt his lesson but dont make this into a big race row!! Last years voting off black people was just a coincidence, its ridiculous to keep reading too much into every little thing someone on national telly does.

By Shannon.. Posted October 4 2009 at 1:18 PM.

YAWN ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ typical making a mountain out of a mole hill yet again get a life

By susanah.. Posted October 4 2009 at 1:14 PM.

Anton is the best part of the show. Funny guy and always having a laugh. His humour got the best of him on this occasion - get it in perspective. I think people who want to blow this out of proportion are the people who end up MAKING people racist!

By Richard.. Posted October 4 2009 at 12:44 PM.

Anton's an idiot. She's not even pakistani anyway....surely people can tell the difference by now.

By Roxas.. Posted October 4 2009 at 12:49 PM.

I think it is just plain ridiculous the way this has been blown up out of all proportion. I am Irish and we are used to being referred to as Paddys or Micks [and what about all the jokes about the Irish being thick and stupid?] in much the same way as one poster said earlier Scots people are used to being referred to as Jocks. It is no less disrespectful to us than the remark made to this woman on Strictly but the difference is that we have developed a tough skin and a sense of humour about it all over the years. The REAL problem it would appear to me is the ridiculously PC nonsense which prevails whereby everyone is afraid to make any comment on one of the greatest problems facing Britain today - immigration & the government bending over backwards to accommodate these people[literally and metaphorically!] & all of the problems and difficulties therein. The vast majority of these people are not living in Britain because they respect the country or the people but because it is an easy option and a soft touch. I absolutely do not condone racism but it is very much a two-way thing and not one-sided as these people always try to imply it is.

By Carly.. Posted October 4 2009 at 12:30 PM.

The BBC only have one option and that is to sack Anton. If you can do it to Carol Thatcher, they must do it to Anton.

By Thomas .. Posted October 4 2009 at 12:41 PM.

It was only a joke, get a life!

By Callum.. Posted October 4 2009 at 12:40 PM.

My God... What is happening here! I am of asian descent and born in the UK, I do not have a problem with the P word. Why is it okay for an asian person to call another asian person a 'P' and a black person to call another black person an 'N'. This is okay and funny, however when Anton says the 'P' word, world war breaks out! People say things without thinking, we are all guilty of this! The terroist remark was uncalled for, however he has apologised... move on! Why are the british constantly being blamed for being racist when asians and blacks are just as bad! This all goes to back to how asians and blacks feel about how the british treated them back in the last century! MOVE ON!

By Perminder.. Posted October 4 2009 at 12:37 PM.

For goodness sake..........

There are a lot of very sensitive pc people on here. Are you all really whiter than white? Ooops! Maybe this saying is offensive too?

Words are only offensive if they are used in a way which is deemed so. There are many other words regarding race, colour etc which could also be interpreted as offensive depending in the context they are used. But only if that particular person takes offense.... not the whole of Britain and his dog!

Get a bloody grip and do something constructive like buy a Big Issue, give a homeless person the time of day, look out for your elderly neighbours etc.

By Woody.. Posted October 4 2009 at 11:55 AM.

As a Scotsman, should I take offense to people calling me Scotty, as it is a shortened version. In the 20 or more years I've lived in England I've had plenty of comments made to me. I only take offense when it's meant to cause offense. It's not what people say, it's the intent behind it, and I'm sure Anton did not mean anything racist by his remarks. It's not immigration that is the problem in this country today, it's the PC brigade, and the people who want to use the race card every time. These are the things that are dividing this country and playing into the hands of the real bigots. Let keep a sense of perspective. A badly judged comment to one person should not enrage a whole community.

By John.. Posted October 4 2009 at 11:53 AM.