The BBC were forced to apologise on Saturday after former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given described Wilfried Nancy's brief managerial spell at Celtic as "an absolute Holocaust".
The 49-year-old ex-Ireland international used the deeply offensive language during his punditry appearance on Final Score while discussing the Frenchman's dismissal from the Scottish club.
Nancy's tenure in Glasgow lasted just 33 days before his sacking, yet Given's choice of words to characterise the failed appointment drew immediate condemnation from viewers.
Presenter Jason Mohammad addressed the incident towards the programme's conclusion.
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He said: "A little earlier you may have heard some inappropriate language so we would like to apologise for any offence caused."
The controversial remark came after Mohammad asked Given for his assessment of the situation at Celtic following Nancy's departure in the wake of a defeat to Rangers.
In his response, Given was critical of the club's decision-making, saying: "Nancy was terrible from start to finish, I don't think they should have ended Martin's (O'Neill's) short tenure at the start."
The former Newcastle and Manchester City stopper argued that O'Neill deserved more time, particularly given the crucial fixtures ahead including a top-of-the-table clash with Hearts, a Europa League tie against Roma, and the League Cup final against St Mirren.
The BBC were forced to apologise over Shay Given's comments
|BBC
Given's use of the term to describe what amounts to a trivial matter of football management sparked outrage across social media platforms.
One viewer wrote on X: "RIP Shay Given career. Given has just said Celtic 'had an absolute Holocaust' on BBC Final Score."
Another said: "Shay Given just said that Wilfried Nancy had a 'Holocaust' of a week when he took the job. I'm not sure that's what he meant to say."
Some took a more sympathetic view, with one person urging the former goalkeeper to acknowledge his error.
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Shay Given is Irish, is talking about Celtic and is working for the BBC. But referring to losing a few football matches as a Holocaust is sickening and unforgivable. I'm expecting some immediate & unreserved apologies and don't expect to see this moron again on the BBC again 🤮 pic.twitter.com/SCmdZAgDYU
— RED MIST🎗️ (@fergiesreds) January 10, 2026
They wrote: "Shay Given just apologise and withdraw what he said and just own it.
"I'm sure he didn't mean to say Holocaust in reference to Celtic's season."
Given is not the first figure in football to cause offence through inappropriate use of the term.
Joey Barton deployed similar language when criticising a poor Bristol Rovers performance during his managerial stint at the club.
Wilfried Nancy was sacked by Celtic
|GETTY
He later had to issue an apology after the FA contacted him regarding his communications.
Barton acknowledged at the time: "There were some comments made after the press conference last week where clearly no offence was meant, but some people have rightly pointed out to me the use of the analogy was not correct."
Former West Ham striker Carlton Cole made a comparable error during a 2021 radio appearance when discussing David Moyes's team selection.
He subsequently apologised on air for what he called "a totally unacceptable phrase."
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