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'Nig nog' jibe sinks comic

1/11/2002

ONE-time TV comedian Jim Bowen has resigned from his Blackburn based radio show after calling a black person a 'nig-nog' on air.

The exchange occurred when a black female training officer phoned in to Bowen's morning chat show. He apologised on air the following day but was interviewed by radio executives from Manchester. He than resigned after admitting the phrase was "an error of judgement".

But a spokesman for Bowen's agents McLeod Holden told BBC News Online: "Jim left amicably. He was going anyway at Christmas."

The 65-year-old who spent his childhood in Accrington was host of the popular TV gameshow Bullseye for 15 years. He claimed "nig-nog" was a well-used phrase when he was a lad on the streets of Accrington and he understood it to be a description of someone who was a bit stupid.

He said: "At the end of the day it was not the cleverest thing to say but it was an expression that was used with impunity in my youth. I don't think it was racially abusive and I can categorically say that there were no racial connotations in my mind, as listeners to the programme will surely know."

He said the three-and-a-half year he spent on the programme had been the happiest of his career.

"I'm disappointed for the listeners because we had a great mix of humour, comfort and entertainment. We were proud of it and Radio Lancashire was proud of it."

Hyndburn councillor, Siddique Mohammed Kazi said he had heard the phrase before but praised Bowen's courage.

"If he did say it he should have resigned because racist language can sometimes bring conflict between neighbours. He's done the right thing by apologising and resigning but we are still very proud of him because he is from the town."