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The BBC denied it had used double standards in dealing with the Strictly Come Dancing race row, by keeping Anton Du Beke on despite axing Carol Thatcher over a similar incident.
Strictly trouble: Anton Du Beke and Laila Rouass
The corporation is under pressure to sack Du Beke after it was revealed he described actress Laila Rouass as a "Paki".
Hope Not Hate, the anti-racism campaign, said Du Beke should be axed from the popular show for his remark to the former Footballers' Wives star.
The call came after Thatcher, daughter of former prime minister Baroness Thatcher, was sacked earlier this year from the BBC's The One Show after referring to a tennis player as a "golliwog".
A spokesman for Hope Not Hate, a campaign run by the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, said: "If calling someone a Paki is not racist behaviour then what is? Quite simply the programme has to ask itself, is it going to condone racism on its show or is it going to deal with it quickly and decisively?
"The BBC took a clear line on the Carol Thatcher golliwog comment. If anything this comment is even more offensive."
But a spokesman for the BBC said Du Beke had offered an unreserved apology, whereas Thatcher had apologised but maintained it was a joke.
The spokesman said her apology was not unconditional, despite explanations that the term was offensive.
He said: "Anton understands that it's offensive and has unconditionally apologised."
Du Beke used the insult a fortnight ago during rehearsals after Rouass, his celebrity dance partner, had used a spray tan, the News of the World said.
The 38-year-old actress was reportedly "gobsmacked" by the comment, which was overheard by several members of the Strictly team.
He admitted the term was used "in jest", but denied he was a racist and apologised for "any offence".
Du Beke said: "I must say immediately and categorically that I am not a racist and that I do not use racist language.
"During the course of rehearsals Laila and I have exchanged a great deal of banter entirely in jest, and two weeks ago there was an occasion when this term was used between the two of us.
"There was no racist intent whatsoever but I accept that it is a term which causes offence and I regret my use of it, which was done without thought or consideration of how others would react.
"I apologise unreservedly for any offence my actions might have caused."
Rouass, who has an Indian mother and Moroccan father, has since accepted Du Beke's apology.
She said: "It was a situation which happened that we have moved on from and I accept his apology.
"I'm really enjoying the show and dancing with Anton and hope we can go as far as possible in the competition."
The BBC confirmed speculation that Amy Winehouse will sing backing vocals for her 13-year-old god-daughter Dionne Bromfield in a live performance on this Saturday's show.
The Grammy winner will provide backing vocals as Dionne performs her single Mama Said, taken from the forthcoming album Introducing Dionne Bromfield.
This weekend also sees another much-awaited comeback - as Robbie Williams performs his new single Bodies on The X Factor on Sunday.
The former Take That star's appearance on the show will mark the first time he has performed in the UK since 2006.
BBC1's Strictly starts at 7pm and ends at 9.15pm, while The X Factor, which kicks off its live stages this weekend, is running a two-hour show on ITV1 from 8pm on Saturday.
Winehouse was quoted in the Radio Times as saying of Dionne, who is signed to the Rehab singer's own label, Lioness Records: "She's so much better than I was at her age. I'm so proud. She's my number one."
The troubled star, 26, made her return to live performing in Britain in August after an eight-month stay in the Caribbean.
She appeared on stage with ska band The Specials at the V Festival in Chelmsford.
Winehouse has struggled with drink and drug problems in recent years and was divorced by her estranged husband Blake Fielder-Civil in July on grounds of adultery.
Dionne said in a statement: "Amy and I both love Strictly Come Dancing.
"I watch it every single Saturday, so it was brilliant to find out I'll be on TV for the first time singing on one of my favourite shows."
Mark Linsey, controller of entertainment commissioning, added: "We are delighted to showcase the television debut of Dionne Bromfield on Strictly Come Dancing.
"Dionne is an exceptional new talent and it will be an extra special event for our viewers to see her perform alongside Amy Winehouse, an artist we have been looking to book on the show for some time."
Reader views (19)
I can,t see what all the fuss is about ,my husband is welsh and he is always called taffy,does any body jump up and down then ,no they dont ,to me that is offensive although my husband ignores the word.It,s about time these P C people got off their high horse and started to live in the real world.Oh by the way i was called 4 eyes when i was younger because i wore glasses by we learnt to turn the other cheeck
- Brenda, alicante spain, 26/11/2009 16:20
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So - the Beeb admit that C Thatcher apologised - but apparently that was still not enough??
A certain M Wright was on TV this morning saying she had never apologised! - so when do the BBC say an apology is not an apology??? It seems to rest on how they want to take it - so out with all the older women on the Beeb but keep in all the men....
- Deborah Dartnell, United Kingdom, 09/10/2009 14:33
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Kev - the venomous use of the word was at its height when I was still at school, so it was part of my learning process that the word was synonymous with hatred and was consequently dismissed altogether from my vocabularly and that of everyone I knew. Anton Du Beke is only a few years younger than me so, although no doubt his upbringing was elsewhere, he was surely aware of the word in a similar way to at least a certain extent. It's not about a 'don't mention the war' attitude - sometimes society has to learn from its past mistakes and move on to the benefit of all, such as when children were stopped from going up chimneys, women got the vote and a National Health Service was introduced.
- Nick Rudd, England, 06/10/2009 14:39
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I don't know kev from London so cannot tell if he is truely dense or just pretending.
Words such as cockney, brit, geordie dane are not necessarily derogatory if at all. On the other hand, words such as n****r, c**n, paki, s**c, d**o are undeniably racist.
It's not a black/White/Asian thing or a Brit v foreigner thing. These words are offensive. Yes mainly for historical reasons but nevertheless offensive. It's also not about being pc. Give me a break. Like I said, it's not a black v White thing but certain people who are lucky enough never to have been discriminated against just don't have a clue.
Sack him I say. I cannot influence how he behaves but I do object to my licence fee going towards paying people like this.
- James, London, 06/10/2009 13:54
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I can only think of two reasons why he stays and Thatcher went and both, unfortunately, have to do with gender: it's OK to be male and make offensive comments (as long as you 'apologise unreservedly') when you are being groomed take over from Bruce F but it's not OK to make offensive comments if you are female and expandable (and possibly, given Auntie's apparent age policy, too old as well).
Either way it stinks and the BBC know it!
- Ian, Cambridge, 06/10/2009 13:17
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So Nick Rudd, In your eyes this guy should be scapegoated for what happened in the uk in the 70s!by that logic we are doomed,don't mention the war,i mentioned it once but i think i got away with it this time,o and remember the Danes,sorry Danish oops.sorry for all that's gone before,Dam those vikings. Move on man. We must as a nation really loath our selves. the middle class conscience must be continually appeased, and we shall forever be contrite. well you can be mate if you like.
- Kev, London-UK, 06/10/2009 13:02
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However anybody tries to excuse it, anyone who lived in the North of England in the 70s wouldn't feel that word could ever be anything other than offensive. In those days, it was almost visibly dripping with venom every time it left someone's mouth and it is because it was such a derogatory term back then that it is still so offensive to this day and will always be so. It doesn't remotely compare to 'Brit', while other derogatory-ish terms such as 'Pom', 'Paddy'. 'Frog' and 'Kraut' are soft by comparison. This is verbal violence and was always intended to be so. The only other word that compares is 'n*****'.
- Nick Rudd, England, 06/10/2009 12:29
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Hypocrisy BBC! It is not surprising that a man who has clearly fallen in love with both himself and his large ego manages to offend calling his partner "a terrorist" and now a "paki".
Sack the Beak!
- Mike, London, 06/10/2009 12:23
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They wont sack him cause they want him to replace Brucie..
It is a racist term..period
- Ed, London, 06/10/2009 12:09
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Like most institutions in England the BBC is institutionally racist.
- Mick, London, England, 06/10/2009 11:44
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Come on BBC you are being totally hypocritical. Du Beck should be sacked for setting such a bad example on a family show watched by many children whilst being paid by us the license fee payers.
The only reason he is not kicked off is because it would disrupt the only successful programme the dismal producers of the BBC have created in years.
I am dismayed that such behaviour is condoned in the name of ratings.
Sack him and put standards and before BBC self interest.
- Michael Harper, WInchester, 06/10/2009 11:37
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Stick to your guns BBC. The word Paki is no racist slur,its an abbreviation for a country called Pakistan,in exactly the same vein as I'm a Brit!
- Kev, London-UK
It's the way in which its used which is offensive. You wouldn't call a Black person a "Negro" (Negro being short for Negroid) anymore so why is it acceptable to call an Asian a "Paki"?
It's not about being PC but terms like this have no place in a modern civilised society. Those who defend it ARE racist!
- Decency, London, UK, 06/10/2009 10:57
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Yes right ,Nick Rudd- Just like a xxx Brit, but I'm not so petty,and in no way does it compare to calling a Black person a golliwog as that is utterly a racist insult. In fact from what i gather about that incident it was not used in a insulting manner,it was used in response to her fake tan,ie people from Pakistan look similar and Paki is a abbreviation of Pakistan,just like i was told by a Spanish guy on a beach in Spain this year that i looked like a Brit on holiday,when i asked why, he replied because you Brits are so white we can tell you a mile of,i laughed and we went for a beer,and i made a friend.
- Kev, London-UK, 06/10/2009 10:47
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“DuBeck offered an unreserved apology, whereas Thatcher maintained it was just a joke"...
So you can really mean to make an offensive comment, and grovellingly apologise and get away with it, or refer to a traditional soft toy as part of a joke, be true and say so - and be fired..?
BBC, YOU have become a joke, offensive to many and not very funny - can your paymasters sack you, after all, you’ve not apologised for ageism, wasting our money on sporting mega-jollies or paying obscene wages to inflated egos?
- Darius, London UK, 06/10/2009 10:40
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Do I believe Anton Du Beke is a racist? No, not really.
Do I believe Carol Thatcher is a racist? Yes, ever so slightly.
- Charles, Kennington, 06/10/2009 10:35
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Yes Nick some people may use it offensively, but people also use other words offensively too and it causes no massive problem.
Someone may call me a Brit offensively but I don't see news articles about it.
It's just moaning BBC viewers who have nothing better to do than complain about something that probably doesn't even effect them.
- Joe Spear, London, 06/10/2009 10:24
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Yes right, Kev — and it is always used that way by everyone.
- Nick Rudd, England, 06/10/2009 10:12
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Slight difference. CT wasn't joking nor did she a[pologise.
- Ian, Torpoint, Cornwall, 06/10/2009 10:08
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Stick to your guns BBC. The word Paki is no racist slur,its an abbreviation for a country called Pakistan,in exactly the same vein as I'm a Brit!
- Kev, London-UK, 06/10/2009 09:16
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