Comedian Jim Davidson has been axed from ITV's celebrity cooking show Hell's Kitchen for insulting homosexuals.
The 53-year-old controversial entertainer was asked to leave by programme-makers for homophobic comments, which saw him brand gay men "shirtlifters". Mr Davidson left the nightly reality show after a series of rows with former Big Brother winner Brian Dowling, who is openly gay.
His departure from the show comes after TV watchdogs decided not to censure Sir Trevor McDonald to brand Bernard Manning "a fat, white bastard" on ITV satire show News Knight. Sir Trevor escaped punishment because Ofcom said that the controverisal remarks - which prompted more than 100 complaints - were acceptable because they were made late night and in a satirical context.
On Hell's Kitchen Mr Dowling burst into tears as the former host of The Generation Game Mr Davidson ranted at him: "Go on. You play the whole homophobic card you are a f**** disgrace." This followed an earlier row on the show which had seen Mr Davidson walk up to Mr Dowling and singer Paul Young in the kitchen and referred to a "look" he thought he had been given by a table of diners.
He said: "Why do shirt lifters pull that same face?" Mr Dowling had asked him not to use the words "shirt lifter" because he found it "really rude". But the stand-up comedian retorted: "I don't care. Gay men have the same look - some gay men have the same look" The reality star turned TV presenter asked Mr Davidson if he had that look. Mr Davidson replied: "No only when you put it on... it's a sort of preen."
The spat which erupted on Sunday, before he left the show on Monday, had followed an earlier comment by Mr Davidson which suggested that the young presenter had been put in charge of pastries in the kitchen because he was gay.
Following the row and the reception he got from the other contestants Mr Davidson wrote to producers asking to leave. But they had already decided to boot him off the show. The former Big Break presenter yesterday released a statement after he left the show. He said: "I'm a non PC fossil really. I say the odd thing that seems to upset people without me realising it and then when I get a reaction drom someone I feel sort of put upon myself and overreact."
He claimed he had been asked to leave for saying "racist, homophobic, sexist nasty things". Mr Davidson said: "To be truthful this is young person's television. My day went out with the Generation Game and television has moved on from there."
He added: "I think I'll just go back to being that politically incorrect fossil and if people don't like that then they won't come and see me and won't buy the DVDs. Let the people take the vote. Back to reality again."
Mr Davidson said: "People who know me know I am not homophobic. Maybe I was Brian-ophobic. Which I guess is what I was invited in there for ... So a result!"
It was also claimed that some of the women contestants on the programme had felt that some of Mr Davidson's conduct had been sexist as well.
The row is the latest in a controversy dogged career, which began when he shot to prominence as a runner up on TV talent show New Faces.
Mr Davidson, who has had four failed marriages and battled alcoholism for six years of his life, was accused by ex-wife Alison Holloway of being a drunken brute who used to beat her, drove her to have an abortion and led her to attempt suicide.
It was claimed that within three months of their wedding he had he had blackened her eye twice , kicked her downstairs and damaged her ribs with a training weight. Her new husband Burt Kearns even admitted plotting to have Mr Davidson knee-capped as a result of Mr Davidson admitting he had battered the newsgirl.
In 2006 for the first time in 14 years he refused to play at Great Yarmouth stating that the place was "full of over-weight people in flip-flops and fat children of all colours and no class", which sparked fury from the town's inhabitants.
Last year he was declared bankrupt after failing to keep up payments on a 1.4million tax bill. He had claimed that he had been struggling to pay about £400,000 a year, but that HM Revenue & Customs officials refused to negotiate.
He had claimed that he had been left unable to pay the £1.4million bill four years earlier due to the expense of the divorce from his fourth wife Tracy Hilton. An ITV spokeswoman said: "Following unacceptable remarks made by Jim producers asked him to leave. ITV does not condone comments which could cause offence."
