The Apprentice contestant Jana Denzel has quit the show following a racism scandal that saw him reprimanded by producers for describing a black person as ‘coloured’.
The Harley Street dentist had been part of a team on the BBC reality show creating a character for a marketing campaign when he is understood to have used the phrase.
Two women on his team were said to have been particularly upset by the comment, which was reported to show bosses who then made him undergo diversity training.
Dr Denzel, who has spoken of pride at his Sri Lankan heritage and refugee parents, sat in on talks with producers to ensure he understood the remark was offensive.
The contestant’s exit was first revealed a fortnight ago on February 13, but was finally shown to millions of viewers in Lord Sugar’s show on BBC One last night.
However the BBC insisted that the departure was not related to the comment, which was not broadcast during the episode. And Dr Jana said he was leaving because he felt the other contestants wanted to win the £250,000 investment more than him.
Speaking about the racism row, a show source told The Sun earlier this month: ‘The team had been discussing what the character should look like, and there were suggestions from some members to make sure the character was inclusive.
‘It was then that Jana made the “coloured comment”, which particularly upset two female candidates on his team.’
The Apprentice contestant Jana Denzel quit the show during last night’s episode on BBC One
Jana Denzel (bottom left) became the fifth competitor to leave the BBC’s business reality show
‘While his co-stars did push back and make it clear to Jana the comment was unacceptable, it was then escalated further when it was flagged to the production team, who pulled Jana aside.’
Dr Denzel runs a cosmetic dentistry practice in Harley Street, and boasts A-List stars and Grammy award winners as some of his clients.
But last night he became the fifth competitor to leave the show, during week five which saw the candidates create and branding a new chocolate Easter egg, before pitching it to industry buyers.
Dr Denzel had hoped that with Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment, he could expand his business globally.
However in the boardroom, he declared ahead of the results: ‘Sorry Lord Sugar, I just wanted to say as well, I’m proud of everyone’s contribution towards this.
‘I know how much some people want it but I’m going to be honest with you, I’m not sure if I want it as bad as them so I think whether we win or lose, I would like to step away from the process.’
Following this it was revealed that his team, Team Parallel, which he led, had lost the task.
Jana Denzel told Lord Sugar in the boardroom that he had decided to leave the programme
The candidates had a go this week at creating and branding a new chocolate easter egg
Lord Sugar asked once more if Dr Denzel was certain that he wished to leave the process, to which the contestant confirmed that he was.
And Lord Sugar then told him: ‘OK, well look, it’s been a pleasure having you here… you seem like a stand up fellow and I wish you well.’
Speaking more about why he was leaving, Dr Denzel said: ‘I had an incredible experience on the show, but after much deliberation, I realised it wasn’t the right path for me.
‘Regardless of the outcome of the task, I had already made the decision to step away as I didn’t feel it was right for me to continue when there were so many talented candidates who wanted it more than I did.
‘My business and my family have always been my priority, and I wanted to get back to them.
‘I’m very grateful for the experience and I’ll cherish all the brilliant people I’ve met along the way and I’m now looking forward to supporting everyone from the sidelines and focussing on growing my business, which I’m so passionate about.’
Following the show, a spokesperson for The Apprentice told MailOnline: ‘We were made aware of an ill-informed comment made by Jana during the process and action was taken.
Jana Denzel decided to step away, saying the other contestants wanted to win more than him
Jana Denzel runs a cosmetic dentistry practice in Harley Street and has A-List stars as clients
‘Whilst we have made it very clear to Jana that his use of language was not acceptable, we are confident there was no ill-intent behind it and the concerns of all parties involved have been addressed and resolved.
‘Jana withdrew from the process for completely unrelated and separate reasons, and he has our full support.’
Two weeks before the episode aired, it was reported on February 13 that a contestant would quit the show – but MailOnline decided against revealing their identity so as not to spoil the show for fans.
A TV source told MailOnline at the time: ‘The Apprentice isn’t for everyone and some of the candidates only realise that once they’re in the process.
‘One contestant this series decided to leave the competition early telling Lord Sugar ‘this isn’t for me.’
‘It came as a total shock in the boardroom – some of the cast now believe the candidate wanted to avoid the potential embarrassment of being fired.
‘They saved Lord Sugar the trouble and simply gave up the chance of becoming his next business partner.’
Jana Denzel is pictured right with fellow candidate Liam Snellin during the show
And a source close to Dr Denzel told MailOnline: ‘Ultimately, they realised that the show wasn’t the right process for them and their fellow candidates wanted it more.
‘Staying in the process wouldn’t have been fair to their competitors as far as they were concerned.
‘They have a very successful business, and they always had one eye on getting back to that. Everyone involved just wishes them the absolute best.’
The show has a history of candidates quitting before being sacked.
In 2023, Shannon Martin left the process, telling Lord Sugar in the boardroom: ‘I just don’t think it’s the environment for me.’
During the same season, Reece Donnelly was axed from the competition after breaking show rules by drinking alcohol on a flight to Dubai.
And Shama Amin stood back in 2022 because of the pain she experienced with her rheumatoid arthritis.
She said: ‘Mentally, I was strong enough to carry on. But my body wasn’t allowing me to carry on. So I had no choice but to make a difficult decision like that.’
The Apprentice airs Thursdays at 9pm on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
dailymail,tvshowbiz,The Apprentice,BBC,Lord Alan Sugar
#Apprentice #star #Jana #Denzel #dramatically #QUITS #series #racism #row #word #coloured #describe #black #person