Reggie Yates Australia documentary
BBC presenter Reggie Yates pictured with a member of the Wilconnia indigenous community in a promotional image for the Hidden Australia: Black in the Outback documentary Reggie Yates/BBC/Twitter

BBC presenter Reggie Yates has stepped down from hosting the Top of the Pops Christmas specials this year after making offensive comments during a recent podcast interview.

Yates was set to host the shows, scheduled to air on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, alongside Fearne Cotton.

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Last month, the 34-year-old presenter was criticised for using the phrase "fat Jewish guy" during the Halfcast Podcast with DJ Chuckie Lothian.

He was discussing the current crop of independent musicians, when he said: "The thing that makes it great about this new generation of artists is that they ain't signing to majors.

"They're independent, they're not managed by some random fat Jewish guy from north west London, they're managed by their brethren."

Yates announced his decision on Twitter, where he has 608,000 followers, and posted a statement saying: "On a recent podcast, during a discussion about grime artists, I made some ill-considered remarks which have hurt many people. I can see clearly that the words I used reinforced offensive stereotypes, and that there is no context that would justify such remarks.

"My comments are no reflection on how I truly feel, and I would like to apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community, people in the music industry and anyone else I have offended.

"This has been, and continues to be a huge learning experience for me, and on reflection I have taken the decision to step down from hosting Top of the Pops this year."

After the podcast slip-up, Yates had come out with a public apology saying: "I'm hugely apologetic for this flippant comment.

"It was not my intention to offend or reinforce stereotypes, but I'm aware that this could have been interpreted that way and for that I am also deeply sorry.

"What I was actually trying to say was how proud I am of the new generation of artists making their success independently on their own terms and without giving away control or their rights to major labels."

However, most people on Twitter thought Yates did not have to take such a drastic step and came out in support of him: