Though he’s best known for his legendary firing finger on The Apprentice, Lord Alan Sugar has also had his fair share of controversies.
Lord Sugar rose to fame with his company Amstrad, which he sold his last remaining assets for an eye-watering £125million in 2007 – though he was also chairman and part-owner of Tottenham Hotspur from 1991 until 2001.
He finally became a billionaire in 2015, with his fortune in 2021 estimated at £1.21bn – which makes him the 138th richest person in the UK.
And such a public figure certainly can’t avoid his fair share of controversy.
From a furious feud with Piers Morgan to wanting to ‘punch’ money expert Martin Lewis, Daily Star takes a look.
Piers Morgan feud
(Image: BBC/Boundless/Ray Burmiston)
Though ex-GMB host Piers Morgan is known for his countless fiery feuds with showbiz faces across the globe – most famously Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle – but Piers accused Alan of beginning a “vicious public onslaught” against him.
Lord Sugar first branded Piers a “shameful, irresponsible, exploitative, hypocritical martyr and disgrace” in response to his outcry on the government handling of Covid-19.
He further compared him to ex-US president Donald Trump, with Piers firing back: “If a selfish, stupid, privileged billionaire wants to spew constant repulsive abuse at someone for holding the Government to account for decisions that will decide whether people live or die, that’s a matter for him and his conscience.”
Then Piers allegedly told Lord Sugar: “Go f*** yourself,” before blocking him on social media.
(Image: PA)
The pair briefly made up in November 2021 – though this didn’t last long, as in January 2022 they were back at each other’s throats.
Joking about not making the New Year’s Honours list, Piers said: “Very disappointed not to have made the honours list this year. After all I’ve done for this Govt, it’s baffling they haven’t rewarded me with at least a knighthood for services to holding miserably mediocre ministers to account.”
To which Lord Sugar snapped back: “Knights are a very elite circle of people. The problem is your head is so far up in the clouds the queen would not be able to tap you with the sword, she may be tempted to ram it where the sun does not shine.”
He bizarrely added: “An anagram of Sir Piers Morgan is Orgasm Inspirer.”
‘Punching’ Martin Lewis
(Image: ITV)
Lord Sugar also came under fire for admitting money mogul Martin Lewis was on his list of people he’d like to punch in the face.
He explained on Twitter: “I often discuss with my wife about people faces you would like to punch for no real reason. I know it’s not fair, they may be perfectly nice people. She has her list of faces. Martin Lewis is one of mine.
“He is most probably a nice guy. I am sure some people think the same about me.”
He did, however, add: “Michael Gove is another face I would like to punch. Never met him though.”
But Martin Lewis wasn’t letting it go easily, as he quickly urged Sugar to delete the tweet.
He fumed: “I don’t understand the point of this tweet or of copying me in.
“If you’re trying to start an argument I’m not biting. It’s unnecessary, and if I may suggest would be best for all if you deleted.”
‘Racist’ tweets
(Image: ITV)
In 2018, Sugar was forced to apologise for a tweet the BBC branded “seriously misjudged”, as he compared the Senegal World Cup football team to vendors selling counterfeit goods on beaches.
Alongside a photo of the team posted to Twitter, Sugar wrote: “I recognise some of these guys from the beach in Marbella. Multi tasking resourceful chaps.”
The picture also included an array of cheap sunglasses and knock-off handbags edited in on the green of the pitch as though arranged at the players’ feet.
When he came under fire for being “racist”, Sugar responded: “Why not it is meant to be funny… for god sake.”
He added: “I can’t see what I have to apologise for… you are OTT. It’s a bloody joke.”
But he was soon forced to take the offending tweet down after the involvement of British-Nigerian associate editor of New African Magazine, Osasu Obayiuwana.
Osasu wrote: “Dear @Lord_Sugar, I’m afraid no Senegalese or African will see this as funny. What you wrote was hurtful and plays to a racist stereotype.
“If you really don’t see what’s wrong with what you’ve written, you have a lot to learn still. You should know better!”
Sugar then deleted the image, writing back: “Just been reading the reaction to my funny tweet about the guy on the beach in Marbella.
“Seems it has been interpreted in the wrong way as offensive by a few people. Frankly I can’t see that, I think it’s funny. But I will pull it down if you insist.”
(Image: TWITTER)
He later added: “I misjudged [my] earlier tweet. It was in no way intended to cause offence, and clearly my attempt at humour has backfired. I have deleted the tweet and am very sorry.”
The BBC later stepped in to say: “Lord Sugar has acknowledged this was a seriously misjudged tweet, and he’s in no doubt about our view on this. It’s right he’s apologised unreservedly.”
That wasn’t his only incident fans branded xenophobic, as he came under fire earlier in 2022 for criticising Scouse accents.
Alan was discussing Martin Freeman’s stint in BBC drama The Responder when he was slammed by social media users.
(Image: Press Association Images)
He wrote: “Why did the BBC make Martin Freeman speak with a Liverpool accent in The Responder. Hard to follow what he and other cast are saying.
“No disrespect to people of Liverpool they are nice down to earth people. My wife gave up watching she said she could not understand a word.”
Fans were baffled – and offended – by the tweet, with former Liverpool Echo editor Sue Lee explaining to The Mirror: “As a born and bred Scouser I’m hypersensitive when non Liverpudlians try to imitate how I speak. Get it right and it’s flattering. Get it wrong and I’d sooner hear fingernails scraping their way down a blackboard.
“For my money Martin Freeman gets the Scouse twang spot on.”
She added: “Sorry Lord Sugar. If your ears can’t tune into that there’s only one thing for it – you’re fired!”
‘Sexist’ policies
(Image: TWITTER/LORD ALAN SUGAR)
In his many years of being a business mogul, Sugar has also come under criticism for his “outdated” attitude to women, especially in relation to a 1970s law which made it discriminatory to ask a woman during a job interview if she plans to have children.
He said at the time: “These laws are counter-productive for women, that’s the bottom line.
“You’re not allowed to ask, so it’s easy – just don’t employ them. It will get harder to get a job as a woman.”
He has also come under fire for a range of sexist tweets – including one that suggested men should ‘ignore’ their female partners while the football was on.
Plugging a sweet subscription box, Sugar tweeted: “Send a personalised gift of sweets to the wife/girlfriend for ignoring her during the World Cup […] perfect way to show you still care whilst glued to the TV.”
And one snap shared of a woman working in a T-shirt shop in a rather low-necked top – with most of her face cut off – saw Alan post on Twitter: “Went into a shop in Croatia to buy a jumper. After 20 mins my wife said what the hell is he doing in there, he has been ages.”
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
