Controversial Apprentice star Lottie Lion risks backlash as she supports hunting
THE Apprentice's Lottie Lion risked further controversy after sharing her support for a Boxing Day hunt on Instagram.
The 20-year-old aspiring businesswoman posted a picture from a meet near her home in Somerset.
She wrote: "Very proud to be a part of this community. Sad I am not on horse back this year.”
In the shot, horse riders in red and black hunting jackets made their way through a rural village accompanied by a large pack of dogs.
While the blood sport of hunting was officially banned in 2005 under the Hunting Act, legal meets still take place with groups following trails laced with artificial scents.
Campaigners argue that these drag hunts are a screen and still allow dogs to savagely kill foxes.
Lottie has previously expressed her passion for shooting, sharing a snap of her holding a shotgun with two dead pheasants strung up beside her.
She wrote: "Shoot days are my happy days 🧡."
One unhappy follower wrote: "Off killing beautiful animals again😤😢😤😤😤."
Earlier this month The Sun revealed Lottie was banned by BBC bosses from talking about the show following a brutal firing by Lord Sugar.
Lottie came in for criticism throughout the series after her fellow contestants accused her of being racist in a group WhatsApp conversation.
Lottie told rival Apprentice candidate Lubna Farhan — whose parents are Pakistani — to “Shut up, Gandhi” during a fight in a WhatsApp group.
In another exchange, Lottie also told Lubna, “I’ll f*** you up” adding “uppercut to the jaw and she’s sorted”.
The librarian became Lord Sugar’s most controversial contestant since Katie Hopkins, facing constant abuse from the public and even being spat on in the street.
As The Sun's Dan Wootton revealed, Lottie was prevented from appearing on spin-off You're Fired - leaving many viewers wondering where she was.
The programme's bosses banned her from doing any post show interviews around The Apprentice because of the "unacceptable comments".
A spokesperson for show said: "Following an inquiry by the production company into the unacceptable comments made by Lottie on a private messenger service, she was informed that she would not be invited to participate on You’re Fired.
"The production company have decided that Lottie will not be invited to any further activity relating to The Apprentice."
Lottie claimed she had been targeted and falsely edited by the BBC because she is a “strong conservative woman”.
She told The Sun: “I’m not a racist and I stick to that. I need to show everybody I’m a kind, caring individual. I’m not this cold, stone-hearted bitch everybody sees on the series.”
The star added: “Despite the fact I didn’t intend to be racist, I didn’t intend to offend her and everybody in that group chat found that comment funny when I posted it.”
Lottie was fired during the semi-final of the show on December 11.
She was sent packing in just a few short sentences after her countryside-focused business plan got torn to shreds.
Lord Sugar told her: "I'm going to be very honest and very straightforward. It's not a case of different class barrier - I don't care about that.
"I just don't get your business idea - there isn't enough meat on the bones. So I do wish you all the best for the future, OK?
"But it is with regret Lottie, you're fired."
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