Love Island star Danny Bibby has broken his silence after coming under fire for using a racial slur in a historic Instagram post shared prior to his arrival on the ITV2 show.
Following his return to the UK, after his exit from the villa, the plumber, 25, addressed the backlash from viewers and insisted he apologises ‘wholeheartedly’.
In a lengthy statement he shared alongside a selfie to Instagram, Danny explained that he ‘now knows’ using the N-word is ‘unacceptable in any context’.
Breaking his silence: Love Island star Danny Bibby has apologised ‘wholeheartedly’ after coming under fire for using a racial slur in a historic Instagram post
He told fans he wanted to address the matter properly now that he has left the villa, before thanking those that have supported him.
Danny wrote: ‘ Hello everyone, I am finally home safe and sound and back with my friends and family and more importantly my cat, Ruffin. Whilst I would have liked to have stayed in a little longer so people could have got to know the real Danny Bibby, I am glad to be back so I can address the matter of the post on Instagram properly.
‘Whilst I was made aware of this and issued an apology whilst in the villa, the matter has always been on the front of my mind during the days in there and I would like to now add to what was said.
‘After seeing all the comments and reaction to the post, I understand more that the use of the word, even in the way it was written and intended, is deeply offensive to people and I am truly sorry for using that word. I was always aware that written in the other way was a vile term, and I would never use it. But I was unaware that the way I used it was not.’
Sorry: The reality star issued a statement on his return to the UK as he told fans he wanted to address the matter ‘properly’ now that he could
Danny insisted he has learned a ‘very valuable lesson’ as he asked fans to forgive him for his past actions.
He continued: ‘I have listened to the likes of 50 Cent, Drake and Eminem since I was a kid, and I used it like they do as a term of friends/bro/brother. THAT IS THE TRUTH. I now know the term is unacceptable in any context, and will NEVER use it again.
‘Education is key to solving problems, and I have learned a very valuable lesson. I hope others will too. I whole heartedly apologise to anyone who I have offended and ask your forgiveness.
‘I would like to now get on a normal life with my brilliant friends and family. I’d like to say a big thank you to all my friends, family and the public for their overwhelming support throughout my love island journey.’
Danny was eliminated from the Love Island villa in a double dumping alongside AJ Bunker during Wednesday night’s episode.
Six islanders faced being dumped following the public voting for their favourite stars, as they received the fewest votes.
Honest: He told fans he has now learned a ‘very valuable lesson’ as he asked for their forgiveness and thanked those that have supported him
Given the boot: Danny has now been dumped from the villa, after islanders chose to boot him and fellow newcomer AJ Butler from the show in a double dumping
It was down to the islanders, who were deemed safe, to secure the fate of their co-stars as they chose who to send home. Danny and AJ – who were the newest arrivals – were told to pack their bags, just as three new bombshells arrived to cause a stir in the villa.
While Danny’s time was short on the series, he has arguably been this series’ most controversial contestant so far, as viewers called for him to be removed from the villa just moments after his arrival.
After his use of a racial slur in 2019 was unearthed on social media, viewers called for him to be axed, with Love Island receiving 1,081 Ofcom complaints following his entrance.
The comment in question, written 85 weeks ago when Danny was 23, sees an Instagram account which appears to be Danny’s responding to a fellow Twitter user, who greets him with: ‘Champ’.
In response, the tattooed hunk’s account replied: ‘My n****’.
Shocking: The comment in question, from 2019, sees an Instagram account which appears to be Danny’s responding to a fellow Twitter user, who greets him with: ‘Champ’. In response, the tattooed hunk’s account replies: ‘My n****’
Not acceptable: Another message, dated 26th November 2019, has also been circulated, in which the account uses the same offensive term
Reacting to the uncovered comment, viewers assumed the comment was sent by Danny and made their feelings abundantly clear, with one writing: ‘We demand that the racist islander Danny is taken off the show immediately.’
While another shared: ‘Danny is in fact a racist who previously used the n word on Instagram. @itvstudios @LoveIsland I assume you will be acting on this?’
‘Sorry but new boy Danny is racist and they are making our queen KAZ GO ON A DATE WITH HIMMMMM???? Sorry but throw the casting crew and directors in the bin’ tweeted a third.
This isn’t the only time Love Island has been caught up in a racism storm.
In the 2020 winter series, the show was hit with 272 complaints in the first episode after Siânnise Fudge compared her partner Nas Majeed – the only Asian contestant – to Aladdin.
Other fans of the show were left outraged because of the inclusion of big game hunter Ollie Williams in the line up.
Shock: Love Island has since received over 1000 Ofcom complaints with the show sparking 426 complaints, after they played Kanye West and Jay-Z’s song N****s In Paris at the start of an episode after ignoring calls for Danny to be axed
Danny’s father Richard was forced to quit Instagram after being inundated with hate and trolling on pages he’d set up to support his son during his reality TV stint.
Richard had made an Instagram page with the handle @dannybibbysdad, but wrote in his last post: ‘The fuse has blown. Too much hassle this. Was gonna be a bit of fun but… bye.’
He had previously jumped to his son’s defense and apologised on his behalf, stating at the time: ‘Danny does not have a racist bone in his body and there were no racist intentions to this post. I absolutely apologise on his behalf for the offence this wording may have caused.’
Danny, meanwhile, apologised for his actions from the villa, saying he ‘meant no offence’ and has ‘learnt from his mistakes’.
However, Love Island sparked complaint after playing Kanye West and Jay-Z track N****s in Paris at the start of the episode after ignoring viewers’ calls for Danny to be axed.
Awkward! Danny has also come under fire for his behaviour towards Lucinda Strafford (pictured above with Aaron Francis) as their romance came to blows following Aaron trying to kiss her
Several viewers shared their amazement over the music choice on Twitter, with some saying that it was a ‘disrespectful’ and others being left in shock.
One viewer said: ‘How ironic that @LoveIsland choose to use the song ‘N****s in Paris’ for that Danny boys intro that was a massive disrespect to all of us! Just wow.’
While another wrote: ‘I still can’t believe Love Island started last nights episode with N****s in Paris.’
And someone else tweeted: ‘love island really started off with n****s in paris as background music… the audacity.’
During his time on the dating series, Danny also came under fire for his behaviour towards Lucinda Strafford, after the pair were seen calling off their romance following Aaron Francis’ trying to kiss Lucinda after Danny’s first recoupling.
Danny was left vocally annoyed when Lucinda ‘ignore him’ to speak with Aaron, with Women’s Aid saying they thought Danny’s behaviour demonstrated ‘possessiveness and manipulation’.
Under the spotlight: Danny was left vocally annoyed when Lucinda ‘ignore him’ to speak with Aaron, with Women’s Aid saying they thought Danny’s behaviour was ‘manipulative’
Under fire: The charity accused Danny of ‘gaslighting’ his co-star as he was seen mimicking Lucinda and called for producers to recognise more readily signs of emotional abuse
The charity accused Danny of ‘gaslighting’ Lucinda, with Teresa Parker, Head of Media and Communications at Women’s Aid stating: ‘Our team at Women’s Aid watched Danny and Lucinda’s relationship develop and became increasingly concerned with his behaviour towards her on screen, including what looked like gaslighting, possessiveness, and manipulation.
‘This is clearly not what a healthy relationship looks like, and these are all tactics used by perpetrators of abuse.
‘Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse which makes someone question their perception of reality and can be used to confuse, exhaust and control the victim.
They added: ‘More widely, coercive control, which is a persistent pattern of controlling, coercive and threatening behaviour, has been a criminal offence since 2015 – you do not have to be hit to be abused in a relationship.
‘We urge the producers of Love Island to recognise the signs of abusive behaviour when it is happening on the show, as this is not the first time it has happened. Abuse should not be used for entertainment, and producers need to know when to step in.’
MailOnline previously contacted a spokesperson for Love Island for comment.
Viewers were worried Danny was showing several red flags after mimicking the blonde bombshell and the seriousness in which he confronted her for ‘mugging him off’ after only a day being in the villa.
The plumber could be seen in the background looking shocked and was quick to pull Aaron aside – after branding him a ‘snake’.
Love Island airs nightly at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub.
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