Big Ron returns for BBC race film
Thursday July 15, 2004
Ron Atkinson, the football pundit sacked by ITV earlier this year for making racist comments on air, is to stage his media comeback in a BBC1 documentary examining racism in Britain.
Atkinson will canvass opinion about race issues from a range of people, including footballers, TV presenters and his critics and supporters for the documentary, Big Ron - Am I a Racist?.
The BBC1 show will be the former Manchester United and Aston Villa manager's first work as a TV presenter since he was forced to resign as an ITV football pundit in April, after he called Chelsea player Marcel Desailly a "f***ing lazy thick ******" in what he thought were off-air remarks following a Champions League match.
Atkinson also lost his job as a Guardian football columnist.
He apologised for the remark in numerous broadcast news interviews in the days following the incident, but maintained that he was not a racist, citing his support for black players during his days as a football manager.
He is believed to have turned down an offer to appear in the next series of ITV1's reality hit I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! to make the BBC1 documentary, which goes into production next month.
Big Ron - Am I a Racist? is being made by Welsh independent producer Aspect Television and is due to be delivered to BBC1 in October, according to Broadcast magazine.
Thursday July 15, 2004
Ron Atkinson, the football pundit sacked by ITV earlier this year for making racist comments on air, is to stage his media comeback in a BBC1 documentary examining racism in Britain.
Atkinson will canvass opinion about race issues from a range of people, including footballers, TV presenters and his critics and supporters for the documentary, Big Ron - Am I a Racist?.
The BBC1 show will be the former Manchester United and Aston Villa manager's first work as a TV presenter since he was forced to resign as an ITV football pundit in April, after he called Chelsea player Marcel Desailly a "f***ing lazy thick ******" in what he thought were off-air remarks following a Champions League match.
Atkinson also lost his job as a Guardian football columnist.
He apologised for the remark in numerous broadcast news interviews in the days following the incident, but maintained that he was not a racist, citing his support for black players during his days as a football manager.
He is believed to have turned down an offer to appear in the next series of ITV1's reality hit I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! to make the BBC1 documentary, which goes into production next month.
Big Ron - Am I a Racist? is being made by Welsh independent producer Aspect Television and is due to be delivered to BBC1 in October, according to Broadcast magazine.
