The daughter of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher faces a possible ban from the BBC after referring to a tennis player as a "golliwog", a British newspaper is reporting.
According to The Times, the national broadcaster is seeking a formal apology from roving reporter Carol Thatcher, 55,after the incident backstage following last Thursday's edition of evening lifestyle programme The One Show.
"During a conversation about the Australian Open tennis tournament, Thatcher used the word 'golliwog' in what is understood to have been a reference to a player in the men's competition," the newspaper said.
A BBC spokesman said: "The BBC considers any language of a racist nature wholly unacceptable. We have raised the issue with the individual concerned and are discussing it as a matter of urgency."
A spokesman for Thatcher said she had "summarily apologised" for any offence caused by the comment, which was "meant as a joke".
"Carol never intended any racist comment," the spokesman said.
"She made a light aside about this tennis player and his similarity to the golliwog on the jampot when she was growing up.
"There's no way, obviously, that she would condone any racist comment - we would refute that entirely ... it is disgusting that we've had a leak of private conversations in the green room."
The BBC and Thatcher's representatives refused to name the tennis player concerned. Her friends told the paper she was referring to his hairstyle.
