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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Catherine Mackinlay

Capital Radio DJ Ant Payne apologises after huge backlash over Turkey joke

Radio listeners are furious after Capital Radio DJ Ant Payne made a joke about earthquake-hit Turkey while on air. A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the country, along with Syria, on Monday 6 February.

The latest figures show that more than 33,000 people have now perished with hopes of rescuing more survivors dwindling amid freezing conditions. The presenter, who hosts a show between 4pm and 7pm, had suggested "now is actually the best time to start looking at some cheap flights away to Turkey, over the next few years” before adding: "Get your teeth done while you are over there.

"Come back looking 19 years old. You will be on Love Island next year if you are doing that."

READ MORE: Tom Grennan apologises for Ellie Goulding 't*tgate' at The Brits after sparking complaints

The presenter received a huge backlash with one user called Cinders Wish Tweeting: "Cant believe I just heard @ant_man_go make fun of the #Turkeyearthquake on @CapitalOfficial. He said ‘flight from now for a few years should be cheap to Turkey to get your teeth done’ I wonder how all the Turkish&Syrian communities and victims of this disaster feel about that?"

Ant replied to the user, and to Capital, last night to say: "Except I said nothing of the sort…".

He apologised for the offensive comment in a Tweet posted this morning (February 14) which read: "Hi guys, I want to address the comment I made last night on the show. It was insensitive and ill timed. I would never wish to offend anyone from my shows. My sincere and wholehearted apologies."

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