The BBC's flagship business show, The Apprentice, has been plunged into a new controversy after it was revealed that an upcoming contestant posted a series of racist and sexist comments online over a decade ago.
Historic Hateful Posts Uncovered
The offensive posts were made by Levi Hague, 33, a former RAF serviceman set to appear in the next series of the entrepreneur competition. The tweets, dating back to the early 2010s, were reportedly visible on his X (formerly Twitter) account until recently.
In the posts, Hague allegedly referred to Muslims as 'dirty', used a derogatory slur to describe women, and labelled police officers who arrested him in 2012 as 'pigs'. He also expressed support for far-right activist Tommy Robinson. One particularly vile tweet celebrated the removal of a Muslim preacher from the country using highly offensive language.
Apology and Production Failures
Following exposure by The Sun on Sunday, Hague issued a grovelling apology. He stated he was 'ashamed and embarrassed' by the decade-old posts and offered 'sincere apologies to all who I’ve offended'. Hague claimed the views were not a reflection of his values today and admitted he had not disclosed the account to the show's producers during vetting.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed they were 'completely unaware' of the comments and said the views were 'totally unacceptable'. The corporation has demanded further assurances from the independent production company behind the show, stating the social media checks had 'not been completed to a satisfactory standard' in this case.
A Pattern of Controversy for The Apprentice
This incident is the latest in a string of scandals to hit the programme. It comes just days after it was reported that Dr Asif Munaf, a contestant from the 2024 series, was struck off the medical register for a catalogue of antisemitic, racist, and sexist social media posts.
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service found Munaf had displayed an 'arrogant disregard for patients and colleagues'. His posts, made between 2023 and 2025, included hateful claims about Jewish people, racist slurs, and sexist remarks stating women 'should not be pilots'.
Furthermore, last year, contestant Jana Denzel quit the show after being reprimanded for using the outdated and offensive term 'coloured' during a task, although the BBC insisted his departure was unrelated.
The repeated controversies have raised serious questions about the vetting processes employed by the production team and the BBC's duty of care, casting a shadow over the popular reality series.
