Laurence Fox has apologised for criticising a Sikh character's inclusion in the First World War film 1917 but has stood by the rest of his recent controversial comments.

The Lewis actor spoke earlier this week about how including a Sikh person in hit film 1917 had been an “oddness of casting”.

Fox apologised on Thursday night and paid tribute to Sikh troop's sacrifice but then said he was not backing down on other comments he has made over the past week, and would not be silenced.

He sparked outrage last week on Question Time after calling claims that the Duchess of Sussex had suffered from racism in Britain "boring" and that being accused of having white privilege

He stands by calling “woke” people “fundamentally racist” and labelling an academic who said he was a “white, privileged male” as racist.

Speaking on the Delingpod podcast with James Delingpole earlier this week, Fox spoke of how seeing Nabhaan Rizwan in 1917 broke his immersion in the film.

He said: “Ok, you’re now diverting me away from what the story is.”

Fox added: “There is something institutionally racist about forcing diversity on people in that way.”

When he was asked about the comments by Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid about what he said, Fox replied: “I'm not a historian I don't know.”

Fox tweeted on Thursday night to say “Fellow humans who are Sikhs. I am as moved by the sacrifices your relatives made as I am by the loss of all those who died in war, whatever creed or colour.

“Please accept my apology for being clumsy in the way I have expressed myself over this matter in recent days.”

In a second tweet that actor said: “I stand by everything else I said and will continue to do so. Sleep well.”

Sikh historian Peter Singh told MailOnline that Fox should “check his facts”, adding: “Laurence Fox is incorrect with his facts as Sikhs did fight with British forces, not just with their own regiments.”

Speaking on Question Time last week, the DS James Hathaway actor spoke on the controversial coverage of the Duchess of Sussex.

An audience member said: “It’s racism, she is a black woman, and she has been torn to pieces.”

Fox replied: “It’s not racism.”

He added: “We're the most tolerant, lovely country in Europe.

"It's so easy to throw the card of racism at everybody... and it's really starting to get boring now."

The audience member hit back: “What worries me about your comment is, is you are a white privileged male."

Fox replied: "I can't help what I am, I was born like this, it's an immutable characteristic.

"So to call me a white privileged male is to be racist. You're being racist."