Netflix sacked its chief spokesman Jonathan Friedland, he revealed on Friday, after he used the N-word twice in the space of a few days during meetings with staff.

The head of communications announced his departure after being upbraided for a second time for using the racial slur, which is controversial for its ubiquity in hip-hop culture and completely taboo in almost every other context. "I'm leaving Netflix after seven years. Leaders have to be beyond reproach in the example we set and unfortunately I fell short of that standard when I was insensitive in speaking to my team about words that offend in comedy," he tweeted.