Sky Historical past have denied {that a} contestant on The Chop: Britain’s High Woodworker has tattoos related to white supremacists.
The channel got here underneath hearth from livid followers on Twitter after a clip from their new present revealed woodworking knowledgeable Darren had ’88’ tattooed on his face.
The quantity 88 is related to white supremacists, standing for HH – ‘Heil Hitler’ – as H is the eighth letter of the alphabet.
Nevertheless Darren has ‘numerous numerical tattoos’ and the ’88’ is in reference to 1988, the yr his father died.
Within the wake of backlash on social media, the channel tweeted in a press release: ‘Darren’s tattoos denote important occasions in his life and haven’t any political or ideological which means in any respect. Amongst the assorted numerical tattoos on his physique, 1988 is the yr of his father’s demise.
‘The manufacturing group carried out intensive background checks on all of the woodworkers participating within the present, that confirmed Darren has no affiliations or hyperlinks to racist teams, views or feedback.
‘Sky HISTORY is illiberal of racism and all types of hatred and any use of symbols or numbers is totally incidental and never meant to trigger hurt or offence.’
Within the clip from the woodworking competitors, host and comic Lee Mack chats to Darren, who calls himself The Woodman.
‘I’m affected person to a level’ Darren says, ‘so if there’s gonna be folks getting in my approach there is likely to be fireworks’.
‘I type of flip up and say “I’m the woodman”‘ he tells Lee, who replies: ‘I’m not gonna deceive you Darren, in the event you have been the bloke in my city you wouldn’t be referred to as the woodman, you’d be the bloke with all of the tattoos.
‘Certainly that takes priority over “The woodman”?’
Responding to the video, one follower tweeted: ‘I hope there’s an episode about this tattoo and why it hasn’t been coated.’
One other fumed: ‘You’ve put a man with a NAZI TATTOO ON HIS FACE ON YOUR SHOW.’
‘The bloke with the neo nazi tattoos. I believed you have been the historical past channel,’ wrote one other.
Calling for Darren to be dropped, one viewer tweeted: ‘This man has a neo Nazi image ON HIS FACE. It is advisable to throw him off the present (ie give him The Chop) and problem an apology. Did no-one suppose to analysis this?’
Learn one livid reply: ‘Please clarify why a person with Nazi imagery on his face made it into your programme and now that this has been identified to you whether or not you’ll apologise and withdraw this broadcast.
Something much less makes you complicit.’
One reply learn: ‘Hey Sky Historical past, I get you’re barely a historical past channel anymore however possibly do your homework on who you get on yeah? There’s just a few purple flags there…’ whereas one other individual mentioned: ‘Sky HISTORY permitting somebody with apparent NAZI tattoos to participate of their present? wow.’
The Chop, additionally fronted by Rick Edwards and carpenter William Hardie, brings the best carpenters within the nation to Epping Forest the place they compete to change into Britain’s greatest woodworker.
The present continues on October 22 on Sky Historical past.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Sky for remark.
Received a narrative?
In the event you’ve obtained a celeb story, video or photos get in contact with the Metro.co.uk leisure group by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff web page – we’d love to listen to from you.
MORE: Gwen Stefani gives Blake Shelton a run for his money as she remakes her hits as country tunes
MORE: Louis Theroux documentary star relapses as he seeks £13k to fund rehab ‘before he dies’
