Banzai rapped for mocking faith

TV watchdogs have rapped Banzai for a stunt showing a choirboy stuffing communion wafers into his mouth.

Nine viewers complained that the item, shown at Christmas, mocked the Christian faith.

Channel 4 said that the spoof Japanese game show was done in a spirit of fun and participation and that the scene would 'not be regarded as an attempt to denigrate religion'.

And they said the wafers had not been blessed, so they could not be considered 'holy'

However, the Broadcasting Standards Commission upheld the complaint.

It said: "It had not been clear whether the wafers were blessed and that the manner in which they were used in this sketch, particularly as the programme was shown during the Christmas period, had exceeded acceptable boundaries for broadcast."

Published: 30 May 2002