Reggie Yates has stepped down from Top Of The Pops after making “offensive” comments about Jewish music managers.
The presenter, 34, had been signed up to host Christmas Day and New Year specials with Fearne Cotton.
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But he will no longer be on the BBC shows after making “ill-considered” remarks in a podcast.
Speaking on the Halfcast Podcast, hosted by DJ Chuckie Lothian, Reggie said that a new generation of singers are “independent, they’re not managed by some random fat Jewish guy from north west London”.
In a statement on Twitter, Yates said he was “stepping down from hosting Top Of The Pops this year”.
He wrote: “On a recent podcast, during a discussion about grime artists, I made some ill-considered remarks which have hurt many people.
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“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.”
A spokesperson for the BBC, told the BBC news website: “We take these issues very seriously and Reggie is in no doubt about the BBC’s view of his comments.”
Top of the Pops returns for the festive season for the two specials featuring the biggest artists of the past year including Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Clean Bandit, Rita Ora and The Script.
It isn’t yet known whether Fearne will continue to host the shows alone or if they will draft in a replacement for Reggie.