Paul Hollywood has apologized for his “thoughtless” comment about a dessert featured on The Great British Bake Off.
During last week’s season ten semi-final episode, which aired in the U.K. on Oct. 22, the judge made a comment about one of the contestants’ Chelsea Buns, calling them “diabetes on a plate.”
Many online were quick to speak out against Hollywood’s comments, including a consultant for the U.K.’s National Health Service. “Can I politely ask on behalf of @NHSEngland @NHSDiabetesProg that you avoid making jokes about #diabetes on your show?” they wrote. “More than happy to discuss why/ and concept of types of #diabetes.”
A number of the comments directed towards Hollywood pointed out that contrary to what his remark implied, the idea that diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar is a misconception.
“T1 is a type of diabetes that is usually diagnosed in young children, it is an auto immune disease that is irreversible & u cannot help getting. educate yourself before making ignorant & offensive comments,” wrote one Twitter user.
Added another, “As someone who has suffered the hardships of TYPE ONE diabetes, and will live the rest of my life fighting a disease that I did not cause or eat my way into, I find ignorant comments like this appalling. Language matters.”
Type 1 diabetes, which is typically diagnosed in childhood, occurs when the body creates very little or no insulin on its own and is thought to be the result of an autoimmune reaction which destroys cells responsible for producing insulin, according to the CDC.
Type 2 diabetes typically develops later in life, and occurs when the body produces too much insulin.
Following the backlash, last week Hollywood apologized for his comments on social media, alongside a photo of some homemade Chelsea Buns.
“A sweet treat, Chelsea buns … a remark re:- diabetes I made on tonight’s show was thoughtless and I meant no harm, as both my grandad and my own mother suffer/ suffered from diabetes,” he wrote. “apologies X.”
While the joke did air when the semi-final was initially broadcast, it has since been cut from the episode.
Deadline reported last week that the joke will not appear in any re-runs of the episode in the U.K., and that it will also be removed from the version of the show available in the U.S. on Netflix.
While the joke was still included in the episode on Friday when it became available on Netflix, it was removed over the weekend, according to the outlet.
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