The BBC issued a statement following comments from Len Goodman during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The former Strictly Come Dancing head judge was chatting to host Kirsty Young as part of Sunday's Jubilee Pageant when he said his nan referred to curry as "foreign muck". The topic changed to food as he sampled the official Jubilee pudding- a lemon and amaretti trifle created by Jemma Melvin.
Appearing alongside MasterChef’s John Torode he gave his stamp of approval to the pudding, before Kirsty asked if he was any good at cooking. He replied that he was "hopeless" but he tried a new dish for the first time after his wife had made it recently.
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He said: "No, I’m hopeless, honestly. My wife did Coronation Chicken yesterday for our tea and I’ve never had it before." He continued: "I’ve never had curry and curry powder, you know, my nan used to call it all 'foreign muck'."
Len added: "I was always worried about it. But I must say, it was ridiculous. It was really tasty. It was so tasty. I had my first sampling of Coronation Chicken yesterday."
Viewers on Twitter were perplexed by what they had heard and filled the social media platform with complaints. Claudia said: "Not Len Goodman lovingly quoting how his nan referred to curry as 'foreign muck' and that's why he's nervous of it now. This on the BBC Jubilee coverage."
Paul said: "Len Goodman on the BBC says he only had Coronation Chicken yesterday, pulling a disgusted face at the idea of curry powder and reminiscing how his nan called it foreign muck. He sounds charming." Meanwhile, another user said: "Someone tell Len Goodman Coronation Chicken is a British recipe, created for the coronation by two English chefs. Based on a dish created for George V in 1935 called Jubilee Chicken. Curry has been part of our national diet for 200+ years, and I'm sure even his nan isn't that old."
Later in the broadcast of the Jubilee Pageant on the BBC, commentator Clare Balding apologised for comments made earlier, according to the Telegraph. Clare issued an apology for if 'anyone took offence' to remarks made earlier in the show.
A BBC spokesman confirmed to the newspaper that her apology “related to remarks made during the section of the show” during which Len was speaking.
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