Lord Sugar will be required to undergo an ”unconscious bias” course before the BBC can give him any assurances over his future.
The Apprentice host angered many with his insensitive tweet about the Senegal national team following their 2-1 victory over Poland in Group H of the World Cup.
Sugar claimed that he recognised some of the Senegal players “from the beach in Marbella” but promptly deleted the post following the furious backlash which accused the 71-year-old of racism.
He was reluctant to pull the tweet down, insisting that it was “a bloody joke” and claiming that the reaction was “OTT”.
The controversy has understandably not sat well with the BBC, who will reportedly instruct Sugar to take part in an “unconscious bias” course before his future is decided.
“His future at the BBC is by no means guaranteed,” a source from the BBC told the Mirror.
“The feeling among those who want him to stay is he has failed to shake off what can only be said to be a very old-fashioned sense of humour.”
Professor Cheikh Ahmadou Dieng, Senegal’s ambassador in London, sent a letter to the foreign office on Thursday to criticise Sugar’s post.
It read: “In the name of the government and the people of Senegal, the Embassy firmly condemns the racist, prejudiced and uncouth words of Lord Sugar.
“Lord Alan SUGAR doesn’t seem to understand what responsible and civilized people expect from British Lords.
“Nor does he seem to understand the spirit of the world football cup and the respect we owe all the valiant participants who do their best in one of the noblest sporting events of the modern world.”
