Boy George chat 'went too far'

Boy George's appearance on The Frank Skinner show has been criticised by TV watchdogs.

The Independent Television Commission said graphic descriptions of gay sexual practices.

Its ruling said: "Boy George seemed to be determined to disconcert Skinner through a series of 'outrageous' suggestions.

"The ITC did feel that the unrelenting sexual nature of the whole Boy George interview, and one or two of the references in particular, had gone beyond the limits of the code."

Programme-maker LWT had argued that viewers would know what to expect from such a late-night show, and that a warning went out before the show.

But regulators upheld the complaints of the 23 viewers who complained.

It turned down another 17 complaints about a Skinner routine in the same show, which featured jokes about Afghanistan and the Taliban.

The ITC said these remarks had been a justifiable satire against a brutal and repressive regime.

Published: 14 Jan 2002