BBC News presenter Tina Daheley pens open letter to restaurant after hearing racist slur
‘He repeatedly used an extremely offensive word’: BBC News’ Tina Daheley reveals man sitting next to her said the P-word as she details ‘distressing’ incident in open letter
Tina shared a letter addressed to an unnamed restaurant on Twitter on WednesdayThe BBC News presenter, 40, sat next to a diner who ‘repeatedly used an extremely offensive racist word’She identified the individual as being a ‘white, middle-aged man’Tina explained that although the incident occurred on November 5, she ‘was too upset at the time’ to confront the man
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BBC News presenter Tina Daheley published a letter she wrote to an unnamed restaurant on Twitter on Wednesday in the hopes the establishment can take action after a fellow diner repeatedly used a racist slur in her presence.
Sharing the two-page letter on social media, Tina, 40, explained in an accompanying tweet: ‘Finally decided to write to the restaurant where this happened. I’ve relived this moment many times over in my head wishing I’d handled things differently.’
The journalist went on to explain that a ‘white, middle-aged man repeatedly used an extremely offensive racist word starting with the letter P’ when discussing cricketer Azeem Rafiq’s recent testimony about the racism he experienced within the sport.
Letter: BBC News presenter Tina Daheley published a letter she wrote to an unnamed restaurant on Twitter on Wednesday (pictured presenting BBC Breakfast with colleague Jon Kay)
Tina added that ‘he didn’t use it once, but repeatedly throughout their dinner, even after his wife urged him to stop, after seeing how shocked we were’.
She also admitted she ‘considered confronting them, but was so upset I couldn’t bring myself to it’ and added: ‘Perhaps he was doing it to provoke me [or] perhaps he was annoyed that he was sitting next to two women of colour.’
Tina wrote in full: ‘Dear [name blanked out], I’m writing to you following a distressing incident that took place in [restaurant name blanked out] on the evening of Friday November 5.
‘We had a dinner reservation for two at 7pm and when we arrived there was a table of four sitting to the left of us. For the purposes of identifying them – they were two white, middle-aged couples.
Tina tweeted: ‘Finally decided to write to the restaurant where this happened. ‘I’ve relived this moment many times over in my head wishing I’d handled things differently and confronted them but I was too upset (and sleep-deprived) at the time and knew I’d burst into tears if I did!’
Page one: The first page of Tina’s letter began: ‘Dear [name blanked out], I’m writing to you following a distressing incident that took place in [restaurant name blanked out] on the evening of Friday November 5’
Page two: The second page stated in part: ‘He was justifying the use of the word and while everyone is entitled to their own opinion, the use of hateful, racist language is unacceptable’
‘The man sitting directly to my left facing the window repeatedly used an extremely offensive racist word starting with the letter P.
‘They were discussing a story dominating the news headlines at the time – racism in England cricket and the consistent abuse suffered by Azeem Rafiq.’
Tina’s letter continued: ‘He was justifying the use of the word and while everyone is entitled to their own opinion, the use of hateful, racist language is unacceptable.
‘He didn’t use it once, but repeatedly throughout their dinner, even after his wife urged him to stop, after seeing how shocked we were.’
Tina added: ‘I considered confronting them, but was so upset I couldn’t bring myself to it. Perhaps he was doing it to provoke me, (I’m a BBC news presenter), perhaps he was annoyed that he was sitting next to two women of colour, perhaps he didn’t even consider us.
‘After weeks of thinking about it and feeling powerless to do anything about it, I’m bringing it to your attention in the hope that you can take action.’
Awful: Tina explained that a ‘white, middle-aged man repeatedly used an extremely offensive racist word starting with the letter P’ (pictured in November)
Tina concluded: ‘I don’t think this behaviour should go unchallenged. In 2021 there is no place for it.’
Her accompanying tweet read: ‘Finally decided to write to the restaurant where this happened.
‘I’ve relived this moment many times over in my head wishing I’d handled things differently and confronted them but I was too upset (and sleep-deprived) at the time and knew I’d burst into tears if I did!’
Support: Tina’s followers inundated her with support after she took to Twitter to discuss the incident
Tina was inundated with messages of support, with one Twitter user writing: ‘Well done for speaking up, no matter what time has passed.’
Another added: ‘I’m sorry that this happened, Tina. Everyone has a right to discuss the issues of the day, but, there’s never a place for this type of language.’
A third tweeted: ‘I’m so sorry that this happened to you. It is completely unacceptable in any Society. I think you took the sensible approach in the end,’ while a fourth echoed: ‘You did the right thing here. You let yourself gather your thoughts before informing the restaurant.’
Tearful: Azeem wiped away tears when he spoke to MPs about the racism he suffered and has today apologised for using anti-Semitic slurs in a series of messages to a fellow cricketer on Facebook a decade ago
A fifth said: ‘Your right to raise this and it’s not too late there is no statute of limitation for the offence anymore.’
Former Yorkshire cricket player Azeem told MPs last month of the ‘inhuman’ treatment he suffered at the club.
In shocking testimony, Rafiq broke down in tears as he made racial discrimination claims against Tim Bresnan, Matthew Hoggard, Alex Hales, Gary Ballance and David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd.
The spin bowler turned racism whistleblower also claimed the word P*** was ‘used constantly’ during his time at Yorkshire CCC as he gave explosive testimony to MPs.
In one shocking claim, he gave a harrowing account of having red wine forced down his throat by older players at his local team when he was 15 and a devout Muslim – before he drank more heavily from 2012 ‘to try to fit in’.
Rafiq claimed when he first joined Yorkshire he and other Asian players were told they had to ‘sit near the toilets’ and were called ‘elephant washers’.
During the wide-ranging hearing, Rafiq blinked back tears as he opened up about the ‘inhumane’ treatment he received from coaches after his wife had a miscarriage in 2017.
The spin bowler warned that ‘hundreds and thousands’ of cricketers could now come forward with their own racism claims – claiming there will be an opening of the ‘floodgates’ where victims of alleged abuse fight back.
Warning: The spin bowler warned that ‘hundreds and thousands’ of cricketers could now come forward with their own racism claims (pictured in 2012)
