Shila Iqbal has once again apologised for controversial tweets she posted as a teenager.
The former ‘Emmerdale’ actress was axed from the ITV soap – on which she portrayed Aiesha Richards – earlier this month over past tweets from 2012, and she has taken to Instagram to issue another apology for her actions.
She wrote: "I want to say I am truly sorry to anyone who I have hurt or offended with the tweets I sent as a silly, uneducated teenager. Please know I do not condone the language I used 6/7 years ago.
"Even if I was having a conversation with friends and had no malice behind the tweets, the now mature and wiser me knows that it was utterly wrong of me to do so. (sic)"
Shila, now 24, is grateful to the fans who have shown her support after she was cut from the show.
She said: "Also, thank you so much to everyone who has supported me through this difficult time. Thank you to all you wonderful strangers who have reached out and sent messages of support, it means so much. (sic)"
Her latest apology comes days after she appeared on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ to discuss the controversy with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
Shila revealed she wants to help raise awareness to the younger generation about taking a "moral responsibility" about using "language appropriately", and insists she doesn’t use such language anymore.
She said: "I’ve grown and I’ve matured and I’ve become educated, six/ seven years later, I’m now a professional actor. I wasn’t at that time. I didn’t have the responsibilities that I do.
"I know now that young people will look up to me and what I say can influence them and I think that’s very important. I do own up to the fact I used inappropriate language. I don’t do that anymore, I don’t speak like that anymore."
Earlier this month, a representative for ‘Emmerdale’ said: "As a consequence of historic social media posts Shila Iqbal has left her role as Aiesha Richards on ‘Emmerdale’.
"The programme took the decision not to renew her contract as soon as these posts were brought to the company’s attention."
Shila Iqbal apologises again for controversial past tweets
