Lord Sugar has been accused of making an offensive comment that was reportedly cut from the latest episode of The Apprentice.
The businessman – apparently referring to Venezuela's economic crisis – allegedly told fired contestant Jemelin Artigas: “No wonder your country is in a state – it’s because it’s full of people like you.”
Hours after the initial report in The Sun, , Artigas – who lost last week’s task – said on Twitter: “He did make this comment.”
Following the accusation, candidate Lottie Lion jumped to Lord Sugar’s defence on Twitter, writing: “I’m so fed up with fake news. On The Apprentice, if you were fired, it’s because you were performing poorly, not the colour of your skin.”
She told her followers that Sugar “did not make this comment,” adding: “People who are desperate for money and sell ‘stories’ are the lowest.”
Jemelin responded: “How dare you! Comment on something doesn’t even concern you. Attention seeking like you! He did make this comment and however I did not sell this story it did happened now you will get exposed for who you are! [sic].”
A source previously told The Sun that Jemelin, who moved to the UK when she was 16, “felt bullied and picked out because she is an immigrant”.
The Independent has contacted the BBC and Lord Sugar for comment.
Last year, Lord Sugar deleted a tweet about the Senegal national football team which he claimed had been misinterpreted.
He posted picture of the team edited to include handbags and sunglasses laid out on sheets, with the caption: “I recognise some of these guys from the beach in Marbella. Multi tasking resourceful chaps.”
The star of the BBC reality series, 71, responded to criticism of the post by saying: ”I cant see what I have to apologise for .... you are OTT ... its a bloody joke.”
Following her firing, Jemelin told The Independent that she “couldn’t see [herself] as Lord Sugar’s business partner” as she lacked the “chemistry” other candidates had with him.
This isn’t the first time Lottie and Jemelin have clashed on social media. The latter previously criticised Lottie for her involvement in a race row, in which she allegedly referred to former contestant Lubna Farhan as “Gandhi”.
