Paedophile subject 'too hot'

Channel 4 has pulled Chris Morris's new show from tonight's schedules.

It's thought that the show deals with paedophilia, and was deemed too sensitive after Dunmi Shagaya and Danielle Jones disappeared. Dunmi's body was found in France earlier today.

The Brass Eye Special, also known as Trombone, has been replaced by a repeat episode in which Morris persuaded celebrities and MPs to denounce the bogus drug Cake.

He is believed to have similarly hoodwinked some of Fleet Street's most experienced journalists in the show covering the hysterical media reaction to paedophilia.

Channel 4 say the show has been postponed because it was not ready in time, but according to MediaGuardian.co.uk, one C4 boss told staff the climate was "too hot for Brass Eye at the moment".

The new show will be screened later in the run of repeats.

Channel 4 will, however, show a scene exorcised from the original series in which a famous person, who has never been named, was duped into commenting on a fictitious plan to turn the Yorkshire Ripper story into a musical.

When that scene was cut, Morris flashed the subliminal message "Michael Grade is a c**t" on screen in protest at C4's then boss.

Published: 5 Jul 2001