Benedict Cumberbatch has said sorry after referring to black actors as "coloured" during a TV interview in America. The Sherlock star, 38, used the term while talking about racial inequality in the UK acting industry.

He said yesterday, "I offer my sincere apologies. I am sorry to have offended people. I make no excuse for being an idiot and know the damage is done. The most shameful aspect of this is I was talking about racial inequality in the performing arts in the UK and the need for rapid improvements in our industry when I used the term."

He had told US talk-show host Tavis Smiley, "I think as far as coloured actors go, it gets really different in the UK, and a lot of my friends have had more opportunities here than in the UK. That's something that needs to change. Something's gone wrong. We're not representative in our culture of different races, and that really does need to step up a pace."

Charity "Show Racism The Red Card" said Cumberbatch highlighted a very important issue within the entertainment industry and within society. But it added "In doing so, he has inadvertently highlighted the issue of appropriate terminology and the evolution of language...the term coloured is now outdated and has the potential to cause offence due to the connotations associated with the term and its historical usage."

During his apology, Cumberbatch...added "I'm devastated to have caused offence by using this outmoded terminology. I can only hope that this will highlight the need for correct usage of terminology that is accurate and inoffensive. I feel the complete fool I am. I apologise to anyone I offended for this thoughtless use of inappropriate language."

[Daily Mirror January 27, 2015]