The parents of Apprentice star Jana Denzel who dramatically quit the show after making an offensive remark have insisted he is not racist.

Cosmetic dentist Dr Jana is thought to have used the term ‘coloured’ to describe a black person during a task.

MailOnline then revealed on Thursday that he later decided to quit the process, to the shock of Lord Alan Sugar, with his exit set to air in an upcoming episode.

He had been a favourite to win the show before dramatically telling Lord Sugar, ‘I’m leaving’ after he was given a dressing down for using the out-dated term. 

But today his parents Veluppilai and Rajes Denzel, have insisted their son is not prejudice and that his comments had been misunderstood.

Speaking from their home in Harrow, north London, his mother Rajes told MailOnline: ‘Jana is not racist. We are not against anybody. We brought Jana – and all our children – to be open-minded.

The parents of Apprentice star Jana Denzel who dramatically quit the show after making an offensive remark have insisted he is not racist

Cosmetic dentist Dr Jana is thought to have used the term ‘coloured’ to describe a black person during a task

‘Jana was born here in England and is proud to be British. We are open to everyone from every culture.’

Jana’s father Veluppilai told how his son called him a couple of weeks ago to say that he had quit the hit BBC reality show.

The 71-year-old retired postman explained: ‘He called to say that there had been an issue, but I didn’t really understand.

‘He has been misunderstood, I am sure. He is a good boy. I told him “You worked hard to become a dentist, be a dentist”.’

Veluppilai continued: ‘We are from a different culture and maybe he was misunderstood. 

‘But I know he did not mean to cause any offence. That is not who he is.’

Mum Rajes, 61, told how the couple struggled to give their four children – three sons and a daughter – the best upbringing they could, after the family fled their native war-torn Sri Lanka.

She explained: ‘I came to UK in 1983. It was a very difficult in Sri Lanka.

MailOnline then revealed on Thursday that he later decided to quit the process , to the shock of Lord Alan Sugar , with his exit set to air in an upcoming episode

But today his parents Veluppilai and Rajes Denzel, have insisted their son is not prejudice and that his comments had been misunderstood

Speaking from their home in Harrow, north London, his mother Rajes told MailOnline: ‘Jana is not racist’

‘I worked in a supermarket in the morning and my husband worked as a postman on the late shift.

‘We barely saw each other but we made sure there was always someone at home for the kids. We are very proud of them.’

A picture of Jana at his university graduation ceremony is proudly mounted on the wall of the family’s living room, alongside similar pH๏τographs of his two brothers.

Veluppilai added: ‘We are very proud of our children. We did all we could for them and they worked hard and made us proud.

‘We are very proud of Jana. Whether he is on the TV or not is not important to us.’

Sources told The Sun last week that Jana’s comment was reported to show bosses who made him undergo diversity training. The BBC insisted on Thursday his exit was not related to this incident.

Jana had been part of a team creating a character for a marketing campaign when he is understood to have used the phrase ‘coloured’ to describe a black person. 

A source said: ‘The team had been discussing what the character should look like, and there were suggestions from some members to make sure the character was inclusive.

Jana’s father Veluppilai told how his son called him a couple of weeks ago to say that he had quit the hit BBC reality show

Mum Rajes, 61, told how the couple struggled to give their four children – three sons and a daughter – the best upbringing they could, after the family fled their native war-torn Sri Lanka

‘It was then that Jana made the “coloured comment”, which particularly upset two female candidates on his team.’

‘While his co-stars did push back and make it clear to Jana the comment was unacceptable, it was then escalated further when it was flagged to the production team, who pulled Jana aside.’

Dr Jana, who has spoken of his pride at his Sri Lankan heritage and refugee parents, sat in on discussions with producers to make sure he understood the offensive nature of the remark.

It’s thought that Apprentice viewers will not see his comment on screen, but his exit will air during episode five in two weeks. 

A spokesperson for The Apprentice told MailOnline: ‘We were made aware of an ill-informed comment made by Jana during the process and action was taken. 

‘Whilst we have made it very clear to Jana that his use of language was not acceptable, we are confident there was no ill-intent behind it and the concerns of all parties involved have been addressed and resolved. 

‘Jana withdrew from the process for completely unrelated and separate reasons, and he has our full support.’