Ian Collins leapt to the defence of banned gymnast Louis Smith, insisting he had done nothing wrong.
The four-time Olympic medallist has been given a two-month suspension after he mimicked Islamic prayer practices in a leaked video.
Mr Smith has said he was "deeply sorry" for his "thoughtless actions".
But speaking on his LBC show, Ian Collins labelled the ban "ridiculous" and said people should be allowed to have a joke in private.
He said: "This is just the beginning of his punishment. Just the beginning. My guess is that any sponsors that might have had an interest in perhaps endorsing him as an athlete may well think again, not because of what he said, but because of what the ridiculous Jane Allen, the chief executive of British Gymnastics, has made of this. It is her fault entirely now that this has come to where it is, not his fault.
"He had a joke with a mate. The last time I looked, you can do that. This woman has taken it to places it didn't need to go. [LBC] Read more
