Lewis Hamilton has apologised after causing offence by describing his hometown of Stevenage as 'the slums' during the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards. The five-time Formula One world champion said he 'chose the wrong words' and that he is 'super proud' of the Hertfordshire town.
In a video posted on Instagram, Hamilton said: 'I'm super-proud of where I've come from and I hope that you know that I represent in the best way that I can always and nobody's perfect. I definitely make mistakes quite often and particularly when you're up in front of a crowd trying to find the right words to express the long journey that you've had in life. I chose the wrong words.'
The comment sparked a backlash on social media, with Stevenage Borough Council leader Sharon Taylor initially calling it 'disappointing' and saying people felt 'very offended'. However, she later praised Hamilton for his apology, tweeting: 'Thank you to Lewis Hamilton for a gracious apology to Stevenage issued on Instagram tonight, in which he also says how proud he is of our home town.'
During the awards ceremony, Hamilton had said: 'It really was a dream for us all as a family to do something different. For us to get out of the slums. Well, not the slums, but to get out of somewhere and do something.' Stevenage, originally built as a post-war new town, is also home to other sporting stars such as footballer Ashley Young and golfer Ian Poulter.
