The Apprentice plunged into racism storm after white contestant Lottie tells Asian rival Lubna: ‘Shut up, Gandhi… I will f***ing knock out out’
APPRENTICE star Lottie Lion has been plunged into a racism row after telling Asian rival Lubna Farhan: “Shut up, Gandhi.”
Librarian Lottie, 19, is also accused of bullying 33-year-old Lubna, whose parents are Pakistani. They clashed on last week’s first episode. A pal said: “They didn’t get on but this was shocking and clearly a racist remark.”
Posh Lottie warned Apprentice rival Lubna Farhan she would knock her out as tensions spilled over in a WhatsApp chat. The librarian told Lubna: “I’ll f*** you up” and vowed: “Uppercut to the jaw and she’s sorted”.
Millions saw Lottie, 19, and Lubna, 33, in a fiery exchange when the BBC1 series returned last week. And we can reveal they clashed on a candidates’ group chat set up after filming for the pre-recorded shows had ended.
One row started after Lottie allegedly told others she had never spoken to a black person before.
Finance manager Lubna then posted a pic she apparently found on social media of Lottie with a pal.
She wrote: “I thought she said she never met ‘a black person’?”
Lottie hit back: “Seriously f*** off Lubna before I f****** knock you out at our press training.” Contestants are get such training before the show is screened.
Lottie also wrote: “Lubna I f****** swear if you disrespect me again I will f*** you up, you embarrassing failure of a businesswoman.”
In another message, Lottie said: “Apologise on the group chat publicly, or I will f*** you up.” In a separate clash Lubna wrote: “Sometimes people with a character are characterless.” Lottie replied: “Shut up Ghandi (sic) that doesn’t even make sense.”
Mahatma Gandhi led the fight for Indian independence from Britain before his murder aged 78 in 1948.
A friend of a candidate found the comment racist and alerted The Sun on Sunday.
They said: “Lottie and Lubna did not get on but this was shocking. It was clearly a racist remark. No one said anything including Lubna, who ignored it and rose above it. But it is a pretty stupid thing to say on a group chat. It is way below the belt.”
The comment has echoes of the 2007 Celebrity Big Brother row when Jade Goody referred to Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty as “Shilpa Poppadom”.
Jade apologised amid thousands of complaints, and donated her fee to charity.
A TV industry insider said: “This is not a good look for Lottie. Everyone is bound to liken it to the Jade situation. It may make it difficult for Lottie to get other work if this is deemed a racial insult.”
A third row saw Lottie mock Lubna for apparently asking people on Instagram if she would make a good model. Lottie said: “I’m a payed (sic) model and you got voted 100% no.”
Her rival replied: “I am new to Insta so was experimenting.”
The show’s youngest contestant Ryan-Mark Parsons, 19, chipped in saying: “Could become murderous.” Lottie then said: “Nah doll, upper cut to the jaw and she’s be sorted.”
Lubna, from Luton, was brought up on a council estate. She said she lacked role models growing up so decided to become one. Both her parents were born in Pakistan. Lottie, from Somerset, describes herself as “very cut-throat” in her show application.
In Wednesday’s first episode the pair were shown in South Africa where they pitched a wine-tasting tour around Cape Town. They bickered as their team won the task. Lottie was seen speaking over a local wine expert.
It led Lubna to say: “The whole point was to make notes and absorb the knowledge and Lottie kept interrupting and trying to take over.”
Lottie cut in again as 34-year-old contestant Jemelin Artigas tried to give directions. Lubna said: “Sorry can you let her finish please? She’s the sub-team leader and you keep interrupting.”
Lottie snapped back: “I am contributing, not interrupting and you’ve just disrupted the entire group so don’t be so rude.” A show source said: “It was clear Lottie and Lubna were not going to be friends.
“They were like chalk and cheese. But it was even worse off camera, and Lubna avoided her as much as she could in the house. Lottie could be verbally aggressive, and fell out with a lot of people on the tasks.
“She may be young but she spoke to people as if she was the most experienced and knowledgeable person there sometimes. When they argued on WhatsApp, Lottie sent some of the messages to Lubna privately.
“But Lubna screen-shotted some and sent them to the group to expose what Lottie was like. She felt bullied and threatened by Lottie.
“Lottie threatened to report Lubna to a guy on production, saying her messages to her were bad. So their rows were well-known to people who worked on the show, and nothing was done about them.”
Our source added: “The candidates said the WhatsApp group was good fun and banter. But some left because they felt uncomfortable with what was going on.
“They did not want to be party to two people who clearly do not like each other squabbling. Some people on the show were perplexed as to why Lottie was even on there.
“She is very young and does not have much business experience and there was talk that her family had a connection to Lord Sugar. Lottie hinted at the link in the house but did not really elaborate, apparently.”
We can reveal Lottie’s dad, Dominique Lion, 55, is director of a company called Leaders for Business, which lists economists, tech experts and celebrity speakers on its website. A profile of Lord Sugar is listed alongside stars including Gary Lineker, Robbie Williams, Piers Morgan and Sir Bob Geldof.
A show source said: “It does not surprise me that there is some sort of connection there, however vague or old. Apprentice bosses know about this link, and that it may emerge, but Lord Sugar has so many business links it’s not surprising he may know someone who runs a company like that.
“It looks like he may have dealt with the company a long time ago, and Lottie went through the same selection process as everyone else.”
Lottie said last night: “I appreciate the messages sent between myself and Lubna could come across as offensive but they were intended as a joke and no offence was meant by them.
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“With no context I ask individuals not to make judgment. I wish Lubna the best and think she’s an intelligent businesswoman with a fantastic future.”
She also denied saying she had never spoken to a black person — despite Lubna mentioning it in a message. Lottie went on to claim that people were “making up stories” about her.
She denied claiming a family connection to Lord Sugar. Lubna declined to comment.
BBC need clear stance on race
By Leah Sinclair, online editor of Britain's biggest black newspaper, The Voice
LOTTIE’S comments are completely out of line and uncalled for.
It’s hard to know what she thought she was achieving by saying these things.
For Lottie to feel so free to make such comments is indicative of a wider issue plaguing Britain, as more and more people feel comfortable spewing racial slurs on a social media group.
Arguing with a person of colour should never result in a racial slur being thrown in their face.
But nonetheless, we are now in a time where more people are less concerned with the impact of their words and are empowered by their privilege — and we’re seeing this play out right on our TV screens.
Last week, BBC Breakfast’s Naga Munchetty got embroiled in a row which sparked a nationwide debate on the BBC’s stance on racism after passing comment on Donald Trump.
But for this row to now erupt on one of their flagship, prime-time shows is really not good news for them. This is the last thing the BBC needs.
Racism in any capacity is never acceptable and this needs to be communicated more clearly from the top down at the BBC.
As an organisation, it is in danger of not having a clear stance on a really serious issue such as racism, which in 2019, is extremely worrying.
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