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Laurence Fox has been branded a “disgrace” by members of the actors’ union following a heated row on BBC Question Time.

The actor, 41, was labelled a “white privileged male” after he said accusations of racism were getting "boring" during a discussion about media coverage of the Duchess of Sussex.

His comments were condemned by a group from the acting union Equity on Friday, who called his words “disgraceful playing to the gallery” and dubbed him a “disgrace to our industry”.

The Lewis star offered his controversial analysis during a televised debate about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to step back from royal life.

Discussing Meghan’s treatment by sections of the British press and public, academic Rachel Boyle said: “Let’s be really clear about what this is, let’s call it by its name — it’s racism. She’s a black woman and she has been torn to pieces.”

The Lewis star responded: “It’s not racism. We’re the most tolerant, lovely country in Europe. It’s so easy to just throw your charge of racism at everybody and it’s starting to get boring now.”

Ms Boyle replied: “What worries me about your comment is you are a white privileged male.”

Rolling his eyes, the Rada graduate, who attended one of the country’s most exclusive private schools, retorted: “I can’t help what I am, I was born like this, it’s an immutable characteristic, so to call me a white privileged male is to be racist — you’re being racist.”

Responding to the exchange, Equity’s minority ethnic committee tweeted that it was “extremely disturbed” that the actor had been given a platform to “berate and bully women of colour attempting to discuss issues of race and gender discrimination”.

The posts went on to describe Mr Fox as a “disgrace to our industry” and said he had “occupied a highly advantaged position” while seeming to “damn any recognition of that privilege as the very racism he claims is exaggerated when people of colour try to discuss it”.

It then condemned him for “disgraceful playing to the gallery, a populist tirade, with women of colour being used as cannon fodder”, The Stage reported.

“We call on all Equity members to unequivocally denounce Laurence Fox and his comments,” the Twitter comments continued.

The union later removed the posts from Twitter, explaining: “These tweets were sent out by two committee members without consultation with the committee as a whole or Equity staff.

“Equity has asked for the tweets to be taken down while a more considered response to the issue is discussed.”

The “considered” retraction came as Mr Fox continued furious debate online, later tweeting that he had spoken “truth to nonsense” and citing Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character,” he quoted.

He captioned the excerpt with his own words, writing: “This is the position I took last night and I live by in life. If you can improve on it, I’m all ears.

“Or you can keep screeching “Racist!” at me and I can carry on having a jolly good giggle at your expense.

“The tide is turning.”

Mr Fox later added: "To be clear, I am in no way having the best day of my life ever drinking all these leftist tears.

"My cup it overfloweth. But please don't stop."