The BBC confirmed Asif Munaf would not feature in tonight’s spin-off show.
The BBC has cut scenes of candidate Asif Munaf from tonight’s The Apprentice: You’re Fired episode, after he was accused of sharing antisemitic posts online.
Munaf, who was the latest candidate to be fired from the BBC series on Thursday (15th February), was criticised over his social media comments made after he had finished filming on The Apprentice, prompting the BBC to issue a statement last month.
It read: “After filming had taken place, we were made aware of concerns over social media posts that Asif had made after he had left the process.
“As soon as we were alerted, we took immediate action and spoke to Asif in detail on this. Asif took part in specialised training to understand why his posts may cause offence.”
As first reported by The Telegraph at the end of January, the wellness brand owner explained that it was not his “intention to offend anyone” and apologised for the posts.
Munaf said in a statement: “I apologise for any offence caused by my online content/social media. It was not my intention to offend anyone, and I am of course open to all views. The beliefs I hold and have shared are based on the values that I was brought up with.”
Following the statement, Munaf has continued to attract criticism over the content of his posts on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The candidate would have been due to appear on tonight’s episode of spin-off show You’re Fired with Tom Allen, but the BBC has now confirmed he will not be part of the programme.
“We can confirm that the individual concerned will not feature as a guest on any additional upcoming BBC content relating to The Apprentice,” the BBC said in a statement.
Deadline reports that Munaf recorded scenes for the companion show over the weekend, but they have been cut. RadioTimes.com has reached out to the BBC for further comment.
In response to the BBC’s decision, the Board of Deputies of British Jews said in a statement: “Following the Board of Deputies President’s urgent letter to the BBC Director-General Tim Davie and the BBC Chairman this morning, we have been notified that the BBC has significantly edited all content relating to BBC Two’s The Apprentice: You’re Fired concerning Asif Munaf.
“We hope that the BBC will apologise publicly to the Jewish community for their handling of this sorry situation and send the people responsible for antisemitism awareness training.”
The Apprentice continues on Thursday 22nd February on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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