PRESENTER Nihal Arthanayake has now reported a “racially aggravated public order offence” – after being abused on a night out in a suburb in Manchester.
The 51-year-old broadcaster of a Radio 5 Live afternoon programme said that over the weekend, while he was outside a bar in Altrincham, a drunk man, a bit older than himself, got talking to him and used both the P-word and N-word, both highly offensive terms.
Since reporting the incident on social media, the local police have been in touch and recorded a possible offence.
On Instagram & Twitter on Saturday (30), Arthanayake posted: “So, last night this happened to me, and I am still trying to process the weirdness of it. Warning that there is bad language.”
In a video below the tweet, the presenter said: “I don’t really know what just happened, I was in a place called Altrincham… and I was outside this pub, which I’d been in with my wife, dancing around… It was fun. (There was a cover) band (they were) very good.
So, last night this happened to me and I am still trying to process the weirdness of it. Warning that there is bad language. pic.twitter.com/yvszsEsnqm
— Nihal Arthanayake 🏳️🌈🇱🇰🏴🇬🇧🇺🇦 (@TherealNihal) April 29, 2023
“I saw this man sitting outside (and) I was waiting for my wife to come out, so I said: ‘Can I come and sit with you, can we talk?’ and he was like ‘Yeah, yeah absolutely.’ (He was a) little, kind of drunk man.
“We got talking and he said ‘Oh are you a doctor?’ So, I started laughing because it’s a question as an Asian you might get asked and I went ‘Well why would you ask that?'”
“And he said ‘Well, because you’re a p***. And then he went ‘oh I guess I can’t say p***’ then he said the n-word! Then he kind of looked at me and was like ‘oh sorry, you’re offended aren’t you?” And I said ‘well why did you say that word?’ He said ‘I’m sorry I’m a massive….’ and used the c-word.
“I said ‘You’re not a massive c-word, you’re just an average one. Dictators are massive c-words, you’re just an average one.’ It was so weird.”
Arthanayake wrote on the social media platform that he would not be naming the pub since he had “great time in there before encountering that racist man”.
The presenter followed the tweet, writing: “Impressed that @gmpolice have already been in touch. Looking at investigating a Racially Aggravated Public Order Offence.”
Arthanayake also shared his post on Instagram where The Great British Bake Off 2016 winner Nadiya Hussain wrote: “This is the reality for so many of us. Sending you love and solidarity.”
TV personality Vicky Pattison, who won a previous season of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! and was on Geordie Shore, also wrote: “I’m sorry nihal… sending you so much love.”
The Greater Manchester Police are investigating the issue.
Arthanayake is the long running host of the Asian Business Awards, which celebrates 25 years this November and is run by the Asian Media group (the publishers of the Diversity Hub).
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