The Responder: Lord Sugar replies after being called ‘thickest billionaire’ for Martin Freeman criticism

Lord Sugar has shut down a Twitter user who called him the “thickest billionaire in the world”.

The business tycoon and Apprentice star received the message in response to an earlier post he’d written.

Sugar complained about the media’s response to a tweet he’d written about Martin Freeman’s Liverpudlian accent in new BBC series The Responder.

“Why did the BBC make Martin Freeman speak with a Liverpool accent in The Responder,” he wrote, adding: “No disrespect to people of Liverpool they are nice down to earth people. My wife gave up watching, she said she could not understand a word.”

He later said: “ I am sure Martin Freeman is great in it . He is a superb actor, but sorry I could not understand him and others in the cast.”

When the media picked up his complaint, Sugar hit back: “It is fascinating that the starved printed media with tumbling circulation have nothing better to writer about my genuine comment over Martin Freeman and other cast members’ no coherent Liverpool accents. Be under no illusion Martin’s a superb actor. One of the best we have. [sic].”

Following this, he was met with a barrage of criticism, with one person writing: “You sir are surely the thickest billionaire in the world!”

In response, Sugar said: “You are right, I have trouble counting my money, it’s all in pre decimal coinage.”

The 16th series of The Apprentice began earlier this month. A spokesperson for the show was forced to defend the series after it was claimed that the latest candidate to be fired, Navid Sole, was bullied by another unnamed contestant.

They called the allegations “unsubstantiated”, adding that they “do not reflect the measures put in place to look after the candidates”.

The Apprentice continues tonight (27 January) at 9pm on BBC One.