Posted on 10:15 PM by Health&Beauty
The rise in complaints comes as anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate called on the corporation to take action over the dancer's comments, asking: "Quite simply the programme has to ask itself, is it going to condone racism on its show or is it going to deal with it quickly and decisively?"
After it emerged in the News of the World on Sunday that Du Beke had called his dance partner, Footballers' Wives actress Laila Rouass, a "Paki", 63 people complained to the corporation, but by this morning 281 had complained.
The incident that sparked the row occurred after Rouass, who has an Indian mother and Moroccan father, turned up to rehearsals having had a spray tan.
Du Beke subsequently apologised for his remarks, saying: "I must say immediately and categorically that I am not a racist, and that I do not use racist language."
However, a spokesman for Hope Not Hate, a campaign group run by the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, asked: "If calling someone a Paki is not racist behaviour then what is?"
Hope Not Hate also argued that Du Beke's remark was more offensive than when Carol Thatcher called a tennis player a "golliwog" – which led to her being fired from BBC1 magazine programme The One Show earlier this year.
"The BBC took a clear line on the Carol Thatcher golliwog comment. If anything this comment is even more offensive."
However yesterday the BBC denied accusations of double standards over Thatcher incident saying that unlike Du Beke, Thatcher had not given an "unconditional" apology.
Sources said discussions are being held within the BBC by executives about the public reaction to Du Beke's comments.
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