CAA writes to talkSPORT demanding live on-air apology after presenters allow “He’s a Jew, he’s not gonna let him go for nothing” comment about Daniel Levy to go unchallenged

Campaign Against Antisemitism will be writing to talkSPORT to demand a live on-air apology after two of the radio show’s presenters allowed a hateful comment from a caller about Tottenham Hotspur’s chairman, Daniel Levy, to go unchallenged.

The show’s segment was presented by Perry Groves, a football pundit and former footballer, and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, a reporter for Channel 4 News, and included a discussion about Tottenham Hotspur player Harry Kane.

Mr Jarrett-Bryan asks the caller: “Are you saying Spurs should get the fee that they feel he’s worth, and if they don’t get that, he’s not going anywhere?”

Referring to Mr Levy, the caller responds: “He’s a Jew, he’s not gonna let him go for nothing, is he?”

The presenters, visibly shocked, then cut off the caller and tried to swiftly move the conversation on without acknowledging the comment that had just been made.

This is not the first time talksSPORT has been involved in controversy relating to inflammatory comments. Phil Brown, the football player turned manager, issued a heartfelt apology in 2018 to Campaign Against Antisemitism after referring to Chelsea Football Club midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko as having had a “Holocaust of a game” on the radio show.  

Last year on talkSPORT, Mr Groves made a nearly identical remark when he referred to goalkeeper Mat Ryan’s performance in the match, saying that the player “had a Holocaust of a game.”

Mr Levy has received antisemitic abuse in the past. One incident in April saw a tweet that was said to have contained several antisemitic tropes removed and reported to the police.

In a separate incident, a user wrote: “Them 3 fat AMERICAN C***S YOU F***ING BASTARDS. And as for that Jew levy your family should have been gassed. Inters owners also ruined the cal champions. Perez is in the f***ing mafia”.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Perry Groves and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan must apologise live on air for their failure to call out a remark by a caller disparaging Daniel Levy because he is Jewish. Perry Groves has his own inflammatory record to redeem, while, for Jarrett-Bryan, whose pinned tweet is all about stamping racism out of football, it is particularly disappointing that he missed the opportunity to do his part in achieving that aim. TalkSPORT’s listeners deserve better.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism monitors traditional media and regularly holds outlets to account. If members of the public are concerned about reportage in the media, they should contact us at [email protected].