The future of The Simpsons character Apu is in doubt after the voice actor who plays him announced he is stepping down following a race row.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, played by Hank Azaria, is an Indian immigrant who owns and owns a convenience store called Kwik-E-Mart and is known for his catchphrase "thank you, come again".

Critics claim the character is a problematic stereotype of South Asian people, and claim his portrayal by Azaria, who is white, was racist because of his ethnicity.

Azaria, 55, will continue to lend his voice to numerous other characters in the long-running show, including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum and Comic Book Guy.

"All we know there is I won't be doing the voice anymore, unless there's some way to transition it or something," he told Slashfilm.