TV watchdog apologises to comic

TV watchdogs have taken the possibly unprecedented step of apologising to a comedian they criticised.

In a ruling published this week, Ofcom investigated a complaint that the word ‘cunt’ was transmitted during an early-afternoon live feed from the set of reality show Kings Of Comedy in October.

And they attributed the utterance to Janey Godley, one of the stand-ups confined to the house for the duration of the show.

However, the watchdogs now say they made a mistake – and say it was another of the contestants who swore.

A spokesman for Ofcom said: “It was not, in fact, Janey Godley who said this. We apologise unreservedly to Ms Godley for this genuine mistake. We wish to correct this immediately.”

Godley said: “ Ofcom are the people who are supposed to monitor us - not accuse wrongly.”

One viewer had complained that the word could be heard, even though it was said in a hushed tone and while the cameras were focussed on Stan Boardman, who clearly did not say it.

However, Ofcom did not censure E4 for the slip, saying it was a genuine mistake and that the broadcaster’s system of broadcasting such reality shows with a slight delay so bad language could be edited out was normally reliable.

The watchdog ruled: “We agree that such swearing is unacceptable for broadcast at that time of day.  However, the word was certainly somewhat muffled and we understand how it came to be overlooked.

Published: 6 Feb 2005