NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > British legend makes anti-Irish slur over Olympic torch bearer tattoo made in USA

British legend makes anti-Irish slur over Olympic torch bearer tattoo made in USA

TV gaffe to cost Thompson chance to light Olympic flame at opening ceremony

PATRICK COUNIHAN,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Monday, July 23, 2012, 7:32 AM

Updated Monday, July 23, 2012, 9:34 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

38 Comments

Daley Thompson and the misspelled tattoo

Photo by Google Images

An Olympic legend has been forced to apologise for a racist slur against the Irish on live television in Britain.

Former decathlon champion Daley Thompson, who is black, could lose the chance to light the Olympic torch in London on Friday night as a result of his gaffe.

Thompson has been hit with a deluge of criticism since his anti-Irish joke on the BBC programme The One Show last weekend.

Programme bosses were forced to apologise live on air twice after Thompson’s slur.

The 53-year-old erred when he was shown a photograph of a torch bearer with the words ‘OYLMPIC torch bearer’ tattooed onto her arm.

Images of the mis-spelt tattoo have gone global on the internet but Thompson took an anti-Irish stance when he commented on the photo and said: “The tattooist must have been Irish.”

Presenter Matt Baker immediately informed Thompson that the tattoo had been done in the US. Baker apologised to viewers, and his co-host Alex Jones issued a second apology at the end of the show.

The BBC have confirmed that they have received dozens of complaints from angry viewers.

The English media believe the incident will cost Thompson his chance of lighting the Olympic flame at Friday night’s opening ceremony in London.

Nster.com

E-mail

38 Comments

15 - 38 | See all comments

curtisjohnson | Jul 28, 2012, 05:35 PM EDT

In the words of Edmund Spenser: "For it is certain that Ireland hath had the use of letters very anciently and long before England; that they had letters anciently is nothing doubtful, for the Saxons of England are said to have their letters and learning, and learned men, from the Irish"

Report abuse

laytruman | Jul 27, 2012, 10:00 PM EDT

I would like to remind MPPM that Irish writers won four Nobel prizes for literature in the last century. Irish monks brought learning to Europe in the dark ages. Ill-educated Brits like Thompson will always hate the Irish. Let them hate, they will never beat us. I would also like to say to the West-Brits who defended Thompson's remarks that they are seriously deluded and in my opinion do not deserve to call themselves Irish. We are a way better educated nation than they will ever be. Thompson's remarks are just the surface of a centuries-old hatred for the Irish and not a harmless joke at all. You have to have lived in Britain to understand. I would also like to say to our friend who defends Northern-Irish/British paramilitary thuggery that he needs to reread his history Erin go Brach

Report abuse

aliceschesya | Jul 26, 2012, 08:43 AM EDT

It's not funny. There's no excuse. This is not the playground where we have to pretend it's funny in order to survive. This is a prominent representative of British sport at the time of the Olympics. No nation should put up with these slurs any time, but NEVER at the Olympics and NEVER an intellectual beacon like Ireland. Anyone with half an education in Britain should at least know the hugely disproportionate contribution of Ireland to literature. In fact these sort of slurs backfire on the British people showing a distrust and a resistance to learning.

Report abuse

seanomelb | Jul 24, 2012, 08:37 PM EDT

watch it Young Pike we hear in Melbourne are reading your boring comments.Canadianirish we live in the richest countries in the world.What we have in common is a low unemployment, good wages, great healthcare,no mass murders and a high standard of living some of Yankee types are just jealous or ignorant.

Report abuse

hancock | Jul 24, 2012, 02:04 PM EDT

If it wasn't for hockey nobody would even know about Canada.

Report abuse

bob40wil | Jul 24, 2012, 11:52 AM EDT

Sorry ProudCanadian but your country is a coat tail hanger, always has been and always will be.

Report abuse

YoungPike | Jul 24, 2012, 11:00 AM EDT

"Irish" jokes used to be a mainstay of British humour, just as the Poles were the butt of jokes in the USA. However, the rise of alternative comedians and political correctness have made such humour obsolete. Maybe Daley Thompson has been stuck in a 1970s shrine with Jim Davidson, surrounded by his gongs from yesteryear!

Report abuse

hyattsville | Jul 24, 2012, 10:16 AM EDT

Ummmm he is an athlete not a diplomat. It was clearly meant to be a joke which fell flat. Thompson is notorious for putting his foot in it ie refusing to carry the British flag at previous games, wearing a T-shirt referencing Carl Lewis’s rumored gayness another time. What is funny to me is that such a to-do is made about this on a site which is littered with anti-racist comments from readership on any given day. Honestly!

Report abuse

beaumax99 | Jul 24, 2012, 10:02 AM EDT

People who make comments like this have deep seeded hatred for the nationality that they are making these comments about. They are racists and racists are dangerous people. How would he like it if someone said something about Blacks...I am certain if a white person made this comment, he/she would have been slammed all over the world.

Report abuse

patto69 | Jul 24, 2012, 06:51 AM EDT

It is the casual nature of the insult. He believed it was acceptable, but he is wrong. He has been a fairly anonymous character of late, best that he returns to that status.

Report abuse

MPPM | Jul 24, 2012, 06:47 AM EDT

Racist or not, the truth is that Irish people are not very good at grammar or spelling. This is not even a joke, it's reality

Report abuse

merefalow | Jul 24, 2012, 06:06 AM EDT

if we cant take a joke like this we arent Irish anymore,who are the worst for taking the mick out of us, we are,this wasn't a strictly racist joke,iv,e made the same comment loads of times,i hate the bloody Olympics,iv,e vaguely heard of delay Thomson,HE,S JUST WON THE TOUR DE FRANCE OR SOMETHING,be tragic if the guy is banned for such a light hearted remaRK,LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE,AND WATCH BORIS DOESNT BURN HIMSELF.

Report abuse

YoungPike | Jul 24, 2012, 06:03 AM EDT

Kevin: Having never been to Canada I don't know if it's the dullest place in the world. I thought Australia was the dullest place!

Report abuse

Kevin Longan | Jul 24, 2012, 12:57 AM EDT

Wow, ignorance abounds! If the situation would have been reversed the Irish person would be handed their head on a platter but because this moron is half-black he'll probably get a pass. As an aside to proud Canadian, what has Canada ever done but ride on America's coattails? It's the dullest place in the world unless freezing is a sport.

Report abuse

curtisjohnson | Jul 23, 2012, 10:59 PM EDT

Yes, the idiot probably doesn't even realize the origins of his own name. It's doubtful that the british establishment will impose any substantive consequences to this slur - the institutional bias seems to be against the Irish as well as, ironically, nationalistic englishmen.

Report abuse