Over 150 people complained to Ofcom about BBC’s Red Nose Day show
Ofcom received a total of 151 complaints after the BBC’s airing of Comic Relief 2017 on Red Nose Day.
The charity telethon attracted complaints after showing what was deemed as inappropriate content during pre-watershed.
It was Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer’s sketch that seemed to cause the biggest stir. In a piece that aired before 9pm, the comedy duo took on the role of the Stotts as they probed Susanna Reid with searching questions regarding Piers Morgan and toilet paper.
During the sketch, Vic flashed the news host with a prosthetic penis whilst asking Susanna if she had seen the new film “Kong”.
He said: “It’s out there. It’s quite long, have you seen it? It’s very long and heavy at the end with a twist in the middle and at the beginning there’s a couple of little clackers…it’s quite hairy at the beginning. You’ll probably miss it.”
The televised edition of Radio One’s Innuendo Bingo also caused a bit of backlash among BBC viewers, in which guests attempt to make one another laugh with cheeky or suggestive innuendos.
An Ofcom spokesperson explained: “We have received 151 complaints about Comic Relief 2017 on the BBC. We will assess these complaints before deciding whether or not to investigate.”
Despite complaints, Comic Relief 2017 raised a record-breaking sum of money for the charity. A representative of the BBC said: “The Red Nose Day 2017 broadcast was a live studio environment enjoyed by a peak audience of 7.6 million which raised over £73m.
“This will go a huge way to help improve the lives of many people both here in the UK and in some of the world’s poorest countries.”
