Katie Hopkins to leave radio station LBC 'effective immediately'

(Image credit: PA Wire/PA Images)

Controversial columnist Katie Hopkins has parted way with leading talk radio station LBC

Controversial columnist and TV and radio personality Katie Hopkins has parted ways with radio station LBC with immediate effect.

The former star of The Apprentice has become synonymous with causing public outrage by taking extreme stances on public and international issues. She once wrote that any immigrants who try to reach Great Britain by boat should be met with gunships.

After Monday's bombing in Manchester, Hopkins used Holocaust language in calling for a 'final solution'.

The now-deleted tweet, made in the hours after the explosion, read: “22 dead – number rising. Schofield. Don’t you even dare. Do not be a part of the problem. We need a final solution #Machester (sic).” Complaints were made to the Metropolitan Police about Hopkins' tweet.

A spokesman for the Met said on Tuesday: “We can confirm that a complaint has been received by the Metropolitan Police Service on Tuesday, May 23, in relation to a tweet published on the same day.

“As is routine, the allegation will be reviewed and assessed by specialist officers.”

The police have been contacted for an update.

Hopkins is currently employed by MailOnline as a columnist.

Hopkins has a regular Sunday morning show on LBC, but the talk station tweeted this morning:

Earlier this year Hopkins lost a libel case against blogger Jack Monroe in the High Court and was forced to pay court costs and damages of £131,000.

The 42-year-old is known for being an outspoken commentator on far-ranging topics from terrorism and Islam, to children’s names and obesity.

She has also appeared on reality TV programmes I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and Celebrity Big Brother, as well as fronting her own programmes on TLC entitled If Katie Hopkins Ruled The World and My Fat Story.

Following LBC’s announcement, Hopkins has posted on Twitter but has not referenced her departure.

After removing her initial tweet, Hopkins posted an amended version.

She wrote: “22 dead – number rising. Schofield. Don’t you even dare. Do not be part of the problem. We need a true solution.”

Hopkins added in another post: “typo / wording amended”.

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.