BBC flooded with complaints over Peter Kay's breastfeeding gag

The BBC says it has received 175 complaints over a breastfeeding joke on the new episodes of Peter Kay's Car Share.

Viewers took umbrage at the comedian’s character John mocking the idea of a woman breastfeeding her three-year-old son.

It came during the audio-only version of the show that was released as surprise earlier this month to try to cheer people up during lockdown. 

But the exchange with Sian Gibson’s Kayleigh prompted the deluge of complaints, which the BBC noted came in after an online appeal for people to lodge their dissatisfaction. 

In the episode, Kayleigh describes seeing the woman breastfeed her three-year-old in public

John asks: ‘How do you now he was three?’

Kayleigh: ‘He had balloons.’

John: ‘Is that what you call them? Breastfeeding at three?’

Kayleigh: ‘Swear down. Hanging off the tit with his teeth in Timbaland's.

John: ‘There’s a time and a place, I am surprised his mum wasn't in tears with a three-year-old gnawing at her, they have proper teeth at that age, she must have been in agony.’ They say breast is best but you have got to draw the line somewhere.’

Parents took to social media to complain that such jokes stigmatised breastfeeding in public, especially those who chose to do it longer than usual.

One said: ‘Usually love Car Share. It's a shame this episode is so derogatory about breastfeeding’

Another added: ‘I don't do the whole "I'm offended" thing but I 100% stand behind breastfeeding women on this one. Comments were outrageous on more than one level. Uneducated slurs for cheap laughs. BBC and all involved can expect a backlash from this.’

Parents on the Mumsnet forum encouraged complaints to the BBC, saying it should never have been aired.

One poster claimed: ‘Making breast feeding mum's (sic) feel weird in some way for feeding their child is not right. Up there with racist jokes.’

But another summed up the feelings of many, saying: ‘Is nobody allowed a different opinion from you? It’s a comedy, you know where things can be made fun of.’

The World Health Organization recommends that all babies are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of their life, and from 6 months babies should start eating solid foods as well as being breastfed for up to 2 years or longer.

Published: 19 Apr 2020