EastEnders fans 'disgusted' at 'racist' comment as Kat Slater calls Habiba 'Haribo'

EastEnders viewers were left outraged over a “racist” comment from Kat Slater after she mocked newcomer Habiba Ahmed’s name.

Habiba and her sister Iqra arrived in Albert Square on Tuesday night before squaring up to Slater in last night’s episode.

Slater turned to Iqra while her sister was in the toilet and asked: “You still here? Where’s Haribo?”

Stacey Slater and Big Mo were then seen laughing with Kat as Iqra replied: “Habiba.”

Kat dismissed the remark, retorting: “Whatever.”

The comment left viewers uncomfortable, with one claiming they had been left “absolutely disgusted” while another said it was “low key racist”.

“Absolutely disgusted that #EastEnders scriptwriters thought it necessary to use blatant racism against the character Habiba by having one of the Slater family refer to her as ‘Haribo’,” one tweeted. “Honestly – in this day and age?”

Another referenced the Big Brother racism scandal with Jade Goody and Shilpa Shetty, posting: “If Jade Goody got called racist for calling Shilpa Shetty Shilpa papadom surely Kat calling that girl haribo is racist.”

A third suspected the remark was “going to get some complaints” while a fourth wrote: “Did Kat Slater just say haribo instead of habiba @eastenders ethnic minorities have been dealing with this subtle racism for decades. How distasteful.”

Others defended the comment, claiming Kat has frequently mocked the names of other characters, as they branded those who were offended “snowflakes”.

“Here come the snowflakes crying about Haribo,” wrote one.

Another posted: “Haribo....too funny!!!! #EastEnders.”

The BBC declined to comment.

Habiba and Iqra, played by Priya Davdra and Rukku Nahar respectively, have joined the long-running soap as the nieces of Masood Ahmed whose restaurant they have agreed to take over while he is in Australia.

They came close to making enemies with Kat after Habiba flirted with Stacey’s husband Martin Fowler.

But Habiba later served up a peace offering after she set off the fire alarm in the Queen Vic and stole Mick Carter’s waistcoat while the building was evacuated.

She handed the clothing to Kat, saying she didn’t like the way Carter had spoken to her earlier in the evening over a cleaning dispute.

Kat said: “You start a fire, break into someone's home and nick something for me? I’m getting you a drink.”

EastEnders is on BBC One, Friday at 8:30pm