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Actor sacked from Coronation Street apologises for "racially offensive" tweets
Marc Anwar called the tweets a “moment of madness”.
AN ACTOR SACKED from Coronation Street for using “unacceptable language” about Indians has apologised.
Pakistan-born Marc Anwar, 45, joined Coronation Street, the world’s longest-running TV soap opera, in 2014 as a member of the show’s first Muslim family.
But he was sacked from the show after the Sunday Mirror newspaper published screenshots from his private Twitter account, which hit out at India over the Kashmir dispute.
“Indians killing our Kashmir brothers and sisters,” he wrote.
He called Indians “b*****ds” and used other insulting terms.
“I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to anyone that I may have offended with my tweets on Friday evening, and especially people from India,” he said in a video he uploaded to YouTube.
“This was never my intention. The language was unacceptable. I feel I’ve let a lot of people down: my family, my friends and my former colleagues.
“This I again very sincerely apologise for.
On Friday evening I saw, on the news, children being pulled out of rubble, people being pelted with pellets, women mourning their dead in Kashmir.
“This upset me very deeply and in a moment of madness I ranted out. I vented my anger.
“My feelings were very sincere for the people of Kashmir,” he said.
I hope that everyone that I have offended can find it in their hearts to forgive me.
Anwar was sacked from the show almost immediately.
“We are deeply shocked by the entirely unacceptable, racially offensive comments made on Twitter by Marc Anwar,” ITV said in statement.
“We have talked to Marc and, as a consequence of his comments, he will not be returning to Coronation Street with immediate effect.”
His character, love cheat gym boss Sharif Nazir, will still appear in scenes that have already been filmed for upcoming episodes.
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