Swedish TV host's racial slur goes live

A Swedish TV presenter has been left red-faced after a three-minute, racially-loaded slur went to air when he thought he wasn’t live.

Popular personality Fredrik Ahl of SVT TV thought he had a bit of time to kill before his evening news show went on-air, however, this wasn't the case.

During the clip, Ahl calls refugees living in the country “kebab techniques”, and reportedly managed to offend 100,000-odd people when he said “nobody wants to stay in Eskilstuna” referring to the southern Swedish city.

Ahl sings opera, imitates other dialects and pulls out his earpiece and blows into it.

The embarrassing blunder was filmed by 21-year-old Marcus Hagsten who said he and his family were shocked at Ahl’s live antics.

“I have not seen any similar abuse at (any other) time,” Ahl told Swedish news website expressen.se.

The 43-year-old broadcaster issued an apology, saying: “If someone took offense, I apologize outright. One should choose his words.”