Danish TV channel apologizes for comparing monkey family to Moroccan footballers

By Ebad Ahmed

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AA) - A Danish television station apologized on Twitter over the weekend for airing derogatory comments comparing players on Morocco’s national football team and their families to a family of monkeys.

TV 2 NEWS host Christian Høgh Andersen attempted to transition from a story featuring images of Moroccan players hugging their mothers and celebrating after winning matches at the World Cup in Qatar to the next news segment about animals and how they gather together to keep warm by holding up a picture of monkeys.

“In continuation of the talk about Morocco (players) and their families in Qatar, we also have an animal family gathering to keep warm,” he said.

The station expressed its deep regret over the incident.

“We’re extremely sorry for the comments linking to the next program about animals. We apologize deeply for this,” said the tweet.

TV 2 also issued a statement on its official website saying that Andersen drew a link between staying together as a family to the next topic about animals.

“This can be perceived as a racist comment, and both TV 2 and Christian Høgh Andersen would like to offer a profound apology for that,” it said.

TV 2 News’ editor-in-chief Anne Mette Svane admitted that the comments were “both wrong and offensive.”

“Although it was not the intention of the host, it is a remark that both our host and TV 2 dissociate from. This was a clear mistake. We apologize for it,” she said.

Andersen also maintained that it was never his intention to draw a completely wrong comparison, but he did, which was completely wrong and offensive. He also offered an unconditional apology for his comments.