Prime time BBC show The Apprentice has been plunged into a race row after a white contestant told an 'Asian rival to 'Shut up Gandhi'.

The comments were made by librarian Lottie Lion towards Lubna Farhan on a contestant group chat.

Lottie, 19, has been accused of bullying 33-year-old Lubna, whose parents hail from Pakistan.

Tensions have hit boiling point after the pair were seen clashing on last week's first episode, but it has now been revealed that Lottie made racist comments towards Lubna, as well as threatening her with violence.

Lottie Lion (left) and Lubna Farhan (right) have clashed since the first episode of the show and tensions are said to be rising behind the scenes

According to The Sun, the row started after Lottie said she had never spoken to a black person before, to which Lubna replied with a picture of Lottie with a friend, with the message: 'I thought she had never met a 'black person'.

Lottie hit back at Lubna and said: 'Seriously f*** off Lubna before I f****** knock you out at our press training.'

She added: 'Lubna I f****** swear if you disrespect me again I will f*** you up, you embarrassing failure of a businesswoman.'

Lottie then urged Lubna to apologise to her publicly and on the chat, to which Lubna replied that Lottie was 'characterless'.

Lottie (pictured above) is alleged to have threatened Lubna on a group chat set up for candidates

This then prompted Lottie to say: 'Shut up Ghandi (sic) that doesn't even make sense.'

Lottie and Lubna's first episode bust up During a trip to South Africa the pair ended up rowing after Lottie started to speak over a local wine expert. After listening to Lottie talk over the expert Lubna said: 'The whole point was to make notes and absorb the knowledge and Lottie kept interrupting and trying to take over.' Lottie then cut in when fellow contestant Jemelin Artigas tried to give directions to which Lubna fired back: 'Sorry can you let her finish please? She's the sub-team leader and you keep interrupting.' Snapping back Lottie said: 'I am contributing, not interrupting and you've just disrupted the entire group so don't be so rude.' Advertisement

A friend of a candidate is said to have viewed the comments as racist and alerted The Sun, saying that they understood that the pair didn't get on, but that the exchange was 'shocking'.

They added: 'It was clearly a racist remark. No one said anything including Lubna, who ignored it and rose above it. But it is a pretty stupid thing to say on a group chat. It is way below the belt.'

Mahatma Gandhi was murdered when he was 78-years-old. He had led the fight for Indian independence from Britain.

The comments echo that made during the 2007 series of Big Brother, when Jade Goody referred to Shilpa Shetty as 'Shilpa Poppadom'.

However a TV insider has said that these new allegations are not a 'good look for Lottie'

They added: 'Everyone is bound to liken it to the Jade situation. It may make it difficult for Lottie to get other work if this is deemed a racial insult.'

During the show's first episode on Wednesday the pair were seen in South Africa, where they had to pitch ideas for a wine tasting tour.

Lubna (pictured above) is said to have called Lottie 'characterless' in one of the chats

The pair bickered after Lottie spoke over a local wine touring expert.

After the first episode aired and after chat in the WhatsApp group escalated, Lottie is said to have sent Lubna some messages privately.

A source said she felt 'threatened and bullied' by Lottie and therefore decided to screenshot the messages.

Last night Lottie is said to have dismissed the messages between the two as a joke.

She said: 'I appreciate the messages sent between myself and Lubna could come across as offensive but they were intended as a joke and no offence was meant by them.

'With no context I ask individuals not to make judgment. I wish Lubna the best and think she's an intelligent businesswoman with a fantastic future.'

MailOnline has contacted the BBC.