Duo cleared after racism complaint

Frank Skinner and David Baddiel have been cleared of making a racist comment on their Unplanned show.

A viewer complained to broadcasting watchdogs after the duo mocked an Oriental woman who appeared to be asleep in the audience

But the Broadcasting Standards Commission rejected the complaint.

The pair joked that the woman had dozed off because they were so boring, and she laughed at the banter.

A standards panel ruled that "the butt of the humour was the comdians themselves and that the remark was unlikely to have caused offence to the majority of the audience".

Channel Television, in whose area the complainant lived, said they were sorry if any viewers were distressed by the comment and that no malice was intended.

Published: 31 Oct 2002