Who else hates this guy (Gregg Wallace)?

Very informative if you have 20 mins

I can’t disagree with the analysis, particularly the point about them being offered some re-education about acceptable behaviour in the work place, it being refused and therefore they had no choice but to terminate them.

As for the above tweet, assuming it’s even true because you know, Gbebbies. If I so much as played a song at work that included very NSFW lyrics like Kanye Wests music almost always does, I’d expect to be disciplined and slapped pretty hard with the HR handbook in the process. They are at the end of the day, highly offensive to some people. If I sung it, yeh, I’d expect to be on the chopper, I’d consider myself to be lucky if I didn’t get my P45.

My workplace quite rightly has absolutely zero tolerance for any use of racist language of any kind regardless of context.

To put it simply, he signed his own P45.
 

It seems they've adopted current US culture war thinking on the issue (n-word being taboo in any context), I'm not sure whether UK employment law will necessarily be in line with that - I wonder if he'll try to take them to a tribunal or if it will be settled behind the scenes (is he an emplyee or an independent contractor?).

He's quite an old guy and it's not that long ago that rappers would hold the mic out to (often largely white) crowds, literally expecting them to sing back some lines of the song (including the n-word) - the presenter quite plausibly doesn't even know that it's socially taboo in the US (and now the UK) to say it under any circumstances.

There's been a use/mention distinction until very recently, it's only a few years ago I can remember comedians like Frankie Boyle using the n word, albeit in a satriical manner, and certainly mentioning it in a factual manner has typically been fine (like reporting on others having used it in an offensive manner). So to sack someone over privately saying it because it's literally in the lyrics of a song is going a bit far - surely they could tell him that it's socially taboo to sing that part etc.

But on the legal matter, I'm not sure it would be legal in UK law to say that only black people can say a word - if singing the n-word is a sackable offence for a white person but not a black person, then the BBC is potentially engaging in racial discrimination.
 
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Are you guys high?

We are talking about unacceptable behaviour in the work place. The n-word has absolutely no place in any context.

It’s an entirely civil matter, there is no suggestion the person has committed a criminal offence of any kind. However employers have the right to sack anyone who demonstrates unacceptable behaviour, particularly if they are unwilling to undertake a course where one might reflect on why their behaviour is unacceptable.

What happens at some rappers concert is completely irrelevant. Likewise just because the guy is ‘getting on a bit’ doesn’t make it any more acceptable.

This is a total nothing burger and completely normal employment practice, the only difference is the person being sacked is famous. If I was the HR manager of the production company, and I was under the threat of any legal action from either of them, I’d be sleeping pretty easy.
 
Errm "behaviour in the work place", this was a social gathering, with 'pop' music being played.

You also need to read up on Employed vs Contracted.
As a Contractor the reasons for not extending (on either side) aren't even worth considering, the end is the end so to speak. Only out sensationalist media would find anything of value in it.
 
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Are you guys high?

We are talking about unacceptable behaviour in the work place. The n-word has absolutely no place in any context.

It’s an entirely civil matter, there is no suggestion the person has committed a criminal offence of any kind. However employers have the right to sack anyone who demonstrates unacceptable behaviour, particularly if they are unwilling to undertake a course where one might reflect on why their behaviour is unacceptable.

What happens at some rappers concert is completely irrelevant. Likewise just because the guy is ‘getting on a bit’ doesn’t make it any more acceptable.

This is a total nothing burger and completely normal employment practice, the only difference is the person being sacked is famous. If I was the HR manager of the production company, and I was under the threat of any legal action from either of them, I’d be sleeping pretty easy.
A man, Carl Borg Neal won half a million pounds from an employment tribunal after being dismissed for quoting the word.

It seems the word is acceptable in the work place in the correct context.

I'd imagine if an employer plays a rap song then fires an employee for singing along it would be an easy win.

But, Torode was under a contract and wasn't fired.
 
Are you guys high?

We are talking about unacceptable behaviour in the work place. The n-word has absolutely no place in any context.

Well, technically after work drinks but regardless, you're completely missing the point and that's a false claim as far as the BBC is concerned - it clearly *is* acceptable in that workplace at other times:

The presenter, who had a weekly show on BBC 1Xtra, said he could not work with the BBC allowing “the N-word being said on national television by a white person”.
[...]
The report, by the BBC social affairs correspondent Fiona Lamdin, repeated the language allegedly shouted during the attack on a young black man in Bristol.

That's an example of the use vs mention distinction I talked about - do you see why that's different to calling someone the n-word?

And in this case, it involves a BBC employee saying it as a result of singing song lyrics, he's again not using it as a slur towards anyone - this is now socially taboo, but that's only a very recent thing and the same unwritten rules wouldn't likely apply to a black person in that same workplace - do you think a black host of Radio 1Xtra would be sacked for saying the N word in the context of signing/rapping song lyrics? And that's where employment law doens't necessarily match social taboos/expectations.

So no, we're not high, you're either not following or just pretending to not follow what has been argued.
 
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Errm "behaviour in the work place", this was a social gathering, with 'pop' music being played.

You also need to read up on Employed vs Contracted.
As a Contractor the reasons for not extending (on either side) aren't even worth considering, the end is the end so to speak. Only out sensationalist media would find anything of value in it.

One definitely in disgrace, the other with a blemish that will generate endless whinging one way or another, they had a good run, good ratings, goodbye.

They weren't the first hosts but they were the most successful ones.

Time for some ghastly experimentation as they fish up a bunch of unblemished talent and see if any of them are watchable.
 
And in this case, it involves a BBC employee saying it as a result of singing song lyrics, he's again not using it as a slur towards anyone - this is now socially taboo, but that's only a very recent thing and the same unwritten rules wouldn't likely apply to a black person in that same workplace - do you think a black host of Radio 1Xtra would be sacked for saying the N word in the context of signing/rapping song lyrics? And that's where employment law doens't necessarily match social taboos/expectations.

So no, we're not high, you're either not following or just pretending to not follow what has been argued.

No that's incorrect, the reported singing of the n-word at the wrap up party wasn't the complaint upheld against him and hasn't led to his leaving MC, it was using the word as a direct slur against another employee in a previous incident that was upheld and got him sacked/contract not renewed.


It has been reported that Torode used the N-word at a season filming wrap party in 2019 while singing along to Gold Digger by Kayne West.
It is believed a debate started after he used the word among those present. However, the claim which was upheld against him relates to the previous year when he allegedly used the same word on set following the end of filming, and it was directed at a member of staff.
 
Without the full context, it's impossible to make a proper call. He might be sackable under employment law or what have you, I dont know.
It's not sensible to make a rule that people cannot use a particular word ever under any circumstances.
 
No that's incorrect, the reported singing of the n-word at the wrap up party wasn't the complaint upheld against him and hasn't led to his leaving MC, it was using the word as a direct slur against another employee in a previous incident that was upheld and got him sacked/contract not renewed.

That would indeed be different, but that isn't actually what it says, you're adding some additional context you've made up yourself there - we don't have enough context about that incident to say it was used as a slur against another employee.
 
It doesn’t matter, using the n-word in the work place isn’t acceptable behaviour from anyone, it’s highly offensive even if it’s not directed at an individual.

In normal everyday professional environments someone spouting the n-word is usually a P45 if/when someone makes a formal complaint.

I frankly find it odd that the use of racist language in the work place is a hill you want to die on. The investigation was overseen by a law firm who deal with employment law not some HR department trainee. The outcome was always going to be very public so I’d be pretty confident the correct due diligence was done.

As for Master Chef, it isn’t the Greg and John show, they don’t even have good onscreen chemistry.

This isn’t another top gear where the presenters are the show. It’s a format that works all over the world. Greg and John don’t even all the versions aired in the U.K. , I’m sure it will be fine if that is 0.

The amount of coverage this is getting is insane for the actual issue at hand.
 
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It doesn’t matter, using the n-word in the work place isn’t acceptable behaviour from anyone, it’s highly offensive even if it’s not directed at an individual.

Again, that's clearly untrue, as you've already been shown.

There are multiple situations where it clearly is acceptable like an actor saying it while playing a character, a black radio host using it not as a slur etc, and there are various grey areas where it may break social taboos.
 
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