Channel 4 News said it “regrets” any offence caused by Jon Snow’s “unscripted observation” after the veteran journalist said he had “never seen so many white people in one place” during a live broadcast.
The presenter, 71, was signing off from the Friday evening bulletin following Brexit Day protests when he made the comment.
It came as protesters brought Westminster to a standstill on what was supposed to be the day the UK exited the European Union.
Speaking at the end of the programme on College Green, where congregations of anti-Brexit campaigners have spent months shouting during outside broadcasts, Mr Snow said: “It’s been the most extraordinary day.
“A day which has seen… I have never seen so many white people in one place, it’s an extraordinary story.
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(Image: Alucard / SplashNews.com)
“There are people everywhere, there are crowds everywhere.”
The remarks drew criticism online from some viewers who described Mr Snow’s comments about “white people” as unnecessary.
In a statement, Channel 4 said: “This was an unscripted observation at the very end of a long week of fast-moving Brexit developments.
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(Image: REUTERS)
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(Image: Getty Images)
“Jon has covered major events such as this over a long career and this was a spontaneous comment reflecting his observation that in a London demonstration of that size, ethnic minorities seemed to be significantly under-represented.
“We regret any offence caused by his comment.”
A spokesman for the regulator Ofcom said it would have to wait until Monday to say how many complaints – if any – had been registered regarding the incident.
A spokesman said: “We will assess any complaints we do receive before deciding whether or not to investigate.”