Lord Sugar accused of homophobia over tweet about 'puffs' in boardroom

The British businessman claims he was referring to ‘people full of hot air’

(Getty Images)

Lord Sugar has been accused of making a homophobic slur on Twitter.

The Apprentice star made the offending remark in response to a tweet featuring a photoshopped image of his face on a box of Sugar Puffs cereal, with a fan saying “I found your next business venture”.

Sugar wrote, “hah… I have enough puff s who come through my boardroom [sic]”.

He has since said in a subsequent tweet that by using the word “puffs”, he was referring to “people full of hot air” – but his comment has sparked a backlash on Twitter.

“Ah right, let’s just add casual homophobia to your already incredible repertoire of nasty traits shall we, Sugar,” one person wrote.

“Slightly below the belt for someone if your stature, disappointing,” another added.

One person suggested that the TV star arrange for his next round of Apprentice contestants do a charity project for the LGBT+ community as part of the show, “just to (a) be decent and inclusive, and (b) show you’re not a ‘phobe, just a tone-deaf tweeter.”

Sugar has been responding to some of the criticisms on Twitter. One person advised him to attend a workplace conference hosted by Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBT+ equality charity, to which he wrote, “Why don’t you get a real job instead of trying to capitalise on the snowflake society?”

But not everyone agreed that Sugar meant any harm with the reference, with some people asking whether using the word “puff” could be considered homophobic.

“I really don’t understand how is ‘puff’ a homophobic word,” wrote one person. “I know that the word ‘poof’ is a homophobic word but never ‘puff’.”

Labour MP Wes Streeting, who represents Ilford North, concurred, writing on Twitter, “this is not homophobic” calling on people to “give @Lord_Sugar a break.”

When approached by The Independent, Stonewall declined to comment on whether or not they thought Sugar’s remark was homophobic.

The controversy comes just a few months after Sugar was embroiled in another social media spat after he tweeted a photograph of the Senegal world cup football team, comparing them to beach sellers in Marbella.

“Multi-tasking resourceful chaps,” he wrote in the tweet, which he later deleted, apologising in a follow-up post saying he “misjudged” his original comment.

“It was in no way intended to cause offence,” he continued, “and clearly my attempt at humour has backfired. I have deleted the tweet and am very sorry.”

The Independent has contacted Lord Sugar for comment.