The plumbing entrepreneur was a guest presenter at the awards (Picture: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty)
Charlie Mullins has apologised after a joke he told while onstage as a guest presenter at the British Curry Awards on Monday night was branded ‘racist’ and ‘not okay’.
He also said he ‘very much regretted’ causing any offence.
The plumbing entrepreneur, 70, who sold his business Pimlico Plumbers for more than £140million last year, attended the glitzy annual ceremony – also dubbed the Curry Oscars – as a guest, alongside the likes of Chris Tarrant, Merlin Griffiths, Nina Wadia and Dr Ranj Singh.
However, shortly after the event ended, Dr Ranj took to Twitter to urge the organisers to ‘do better’ when it came to Asian representation at their awards.
He also revealed he had taken issue with a quip made by a white presenter at the event, posting: ‘Paraphrased slightly, but this is a joke made on stage at the @BritCurryAwards by a white person tonight: “Why has India never won the World Cup? Because every time they get a corner, they build a shop on it.”’
‘I’m sorry but how is this OK?’ he asked.
Mullins made a joke that was criticised for being dated and ‘racist’ (Picture: Getty)
Dr Ranj wrote an open letter to the British Curry Awards on Twitter, raising his concerns (Picture: PA)
Although Dr Ranj did not reveal whose joke it was, later clarifying that it was ‘not made by the host of the event, but by a guest presenter’, a clip of the moment was posted online on Wednesday morning, showing Mullins onstage making the joke.
Mullins, who was made MBE in 2014 for services to plumbing, has become more widely known for his TV and radio appearances, including on Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire and How’d You Get So Rich with comic Katherine Ryan.
In response to a request for comment, Mullins apologised and told Metro.co.uk: ‘I was really honoured to be a guest at the British Curry Awards and had a wonderful evening with a bunch of like-minded hard-working entrepreneurs doing good work for charity.’
He continued: ‘I didn’t mean to cause offence with anything I said and if I did I very much regret that.
‘I had a great time, and I know we raised loads of money for some very good causes.’
Former Crimewatch host Rav Wilding also took offence at the joke communicated in Dr Ranj’s tweet, replying: ‘Ranj that’s just made me so angry. That’s not ok at all.’
Others called it ‘a pathetic attempt at being edgy that is just racist’ and ‘just so dated’.
One response read: ‘This ‘joke’ was around in the ’70s/80s & should have stayed there. Not ok then, not ok now [sic].’
The TV doctor also pointed out the seeming lack of representation at the awards (Picture: PA)
Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant and CBeebies star Dr Ranj also posted an open letter to the British Curry Awards on his social media profile, drawing attention to the host, judge and majority of performers all being white.
He also raised the ‘problematic’ inclusion of a Winston Churchill piece in the charity auction, claiming he was ‘not the only person that felt uncomfortable tonight’.
He continued: ‘I was honoured and privileged to be invited as a guest for the British Curry Awards tonight. Firstly, thank you to this brilliant organisation for doing their best to celebrate our Asian community.
‘However, when the host is white, the judging panel is entirely white, the performers onstage are over 90% white, are we really representing our community fairly? And to top it off, we have a racist joke on stage, and are auctioning off a piece by Winston Churchill whose relationship with India (and Bengali people specifically) is problematic?’
It’s been argued that former British prime minister Churchill bears ultimate responsibility for the Bengal famine of 1943, alongside the British government at the time, and the estimated deaths of up to four million people in the province.
Dr Ranj added: ‘We are better than this. We are a magnificent people. We have done so much and still have so much to offer. Let’s do better together.’
In the caption, he wrote: ‘I cannot stay silent… Dear @BritCurryAwards… please, let’s talk about this. I’m not berating you as I know you have good intentions and are doing your best. And you have raised so much for charity. But we are better than this.’
The This Morning star then added in a later post: ‘I am so proud of my heritage, my community and those who have come before me to allow me to do what I do. That’s why I cannot be silent on things that really matter.
‘We are not beyond criticism (and that includes me). But we are open to learn and grow.’
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The 2022 British Curry Awards was hosted by Outnumbered and Mock the Week star Hugh Dennis and gave out 13 gongs, including regional prizes for the beat restaurants, a newcomer award, a best takeaway award and a personality of the year award.
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for the British Curry Awards and Just Eat for comment.
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‘I didn’t mean to cause offence with anything I said and if I did I very much regret that.’
