BBC sacks Thatcher's daughter for 'racist' remark
The British Broadcasting Corporation has dropped journalist Carol Thatcher, daughter of former PM Margaret Thatcher, from a popular television show after she referred to a tennis player as a "golliwog".
The British Broadcasting Corporation has dropped journalist Carol Thatcher, daughter of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, from a popular television show after she referred to a tennis player as a "golliwog".
The reference was said to have been made during an off-air conversation with "The One Show" presenter Adrian Chiles and comedienne Jo Brand.
They are said to have challenged her about the comment, which then filtered out to the rest of the production team, newspapers reported.
The three were talking about the Australian Open tennis tournament, which ended in Melbourne at the weekend, when Thatcher referred to a black tennis player, understood to be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, as a "golliwog".
Reports said the BBC had hoped that Carol Thatcher would issue an unconditional apology to those who she had offended, but that she declined to do so.
A BBC spokesperson said: "We will no longer be working with Carol Thatcher on 'The One Show'."
A spokesperson for Thatcher, 55, said the word was used in an off-the-cuff remark intended as a joke.