Paul Sinha addressed the controversy surrounding the upcoming World Cup (Picture: Getty Images/Rex Features)
Paul Sinha has had his say on the backlash to the World Cup being held in Qatar, due to the country’s human rights record.
The Chase star, 52, addressed the controversy over the decision to hold the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, and believes people should have the same intolerance to homophobia at all times, not just around the football competition.
He told Metro.co.uk at the 2022 Ethnicity Awards in partnership with Metro: ‘The world is a very complicated place and it’s not the first time the football world cup has been held in a homophobic country.
‘So if people want make a stand that’s great and I support that stand, but I’d like to see it applied more consistently to other countries as well.’
Paul added: ‘Brazil, the world’s most famous footballing nation, is led by Jair Bolsonaro, hugely homophobic man.
‘So I’d like the intolerance of homophobia to be more consistently applied, and not just every four years when its Qatar.
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‘I’d like to see that we’re generally always intolerant of homophobia.’
It comes after LGBTQ+ football fans heading to watch games in Qatar have been urged to be ‘respectful of the host nation’ by foreign secretary James Cleverly.
Ethnicity Awards 2022: All the winners
Music artist – Emeli Sandé
Legal & General – Rachel Henry
Metro – Presenter, journalist or host – Alison Hammond
National Grid – Workplace hero – Tolu Falade
BP – Network group, race together – Nationwide Building Society
Online influencer – Naomi & Natalie Evans [Everyday Racism]
Lloyds Banking Group – Champion (Ally) – Paul Plewman
Charity or community initiative – Muslim Council of Britain
Sports personality – Dina Asher-Smith
Outstanding contribution to music – Jamal Edwards MBE
Paramount – Inspirational leader – Leon Donald
Macquarie – Outstanding contribution to communities – Hau-Yu Tam
Public service or campaigner – Munira Wilson MP
Sports trailblazer – Sir Mo Farah
Tesco – Outstanding employer – Lloyds Banking Group
BT – Exceptional inclusion – Ade Rawcliffe
Media progress moment – Azeem Rafiq
Burberry – Inspirational public figure – Johannes Radebe
HSBC UK – Lifetime Achievement – Sir Lenny Henry
He warned football fans would have to ‘make some compromises’ if attending the World Cup in the nation, where homosexuality is still illegal.
However his advice was criticised by Gary Lineker and Peter Tatchell, who was detained and questioned by police after staging an LGBTQ+ protest in Qatar earlier this week.
Paul had been in attendance at Britain’s biggest Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority awards, held on Thursday night in London.
Stars including Alison Hammond, Johannes Radebe and Sir Lenny Henry received awards on the night.
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The location of the upcoming World Cup has led to controversy.
