The Apprentice candidates Lottie Lion and Jemelin Artigas clash over race row

'Please, darling, the truth will always come out'

Two candidates on this year's series of The Apprentice have clashed on Twitter over the race row that's hit the latest series.

Last week, Lottie Lion, 19, was scolded by the BBC for her "unacceptable" behaviour after it was reported she branded fired contestant Lubna Farhan, whose parents hail from Pakistan, as “Gandhi” in a WhatsApp group chat.

Jemelin Artigas referenced the controversy on Twitter after Lottie highlighted that she was the only candidate who knew when the Second World War was in the show's latest episode.

“During this week on the Oxford/ Cambridge hunt, there is an embarrassing blunder – I am the only candidate of 12 who knew when the WW2 was," she wrote, adding: "This isn’t a brag, but an important reminder to educate your children on the heritage of your country.”

Jemelin responded: “Also very important to teach your kids about racial equality and how to be a kind human being."

In a row that lasted for hours, Lottie stated she has been "unfairly portrayed in the media" and told Jemelin: "I won’t allow you to bring me down. The public will soon see how 'well' you did. I wish you the best.”

Jemelin fired back: “Please, darling, truth will always come out! You started this, so no need for wishes that are not meaningful."

Earlier this week, it was reported that up to four contestants had made official complaints and were disappointed in how the BBC were handling the WhatsApp incident.

In a statement, the channel said: “While this happened on a private messenger service once filming had concluded, the BBC nevertheless still expects the candidates to behave appropriately.

"The production company have looked into the issue and reported back, Lottie has been informed that her comments were wholly unacceptable and is in no doubt about our view on this.”

Souleyman Bah, who was fired in the third week of this year's series, recently told previous winner Sian Gabbidon that he experienced racism on the show and suggested that producers failed to act on the alleged behaviour.

This week's episode ended with the firing of Riyonn Farsad – read our interview with him here.