Channel 4 has offered an apology after broadcasting a seven-letter gay slur on word-based quiz show Countdown.
Fans were left wondering why the slur hadn’t been left on the cutting room floor, and questioned why bosses allowed the word “p*****r” to air in the final edit.
Contestants in the show were handed the letters AOOEDRPFT with which to make words from.
And player Matt Gould came up with the offensive word – though later apologised for his part in the controversy.
Matt, from Whitley Bay, said: “I apologise for my part in this. I thought it might be edited differently.
(Image: TV GRAB)
“At the time I said ‘I have an inappropriate 7 that I know is in the dictionary or a riskier seven that I’m less sure about’.
“I thought that bit would be reshot with a non offensive 7 letter word.”
Even rival quiz show hosts, including Richard Osman of Pointless and House of Games, had queries for Channel 4 bosses.
Richard said: “The contestant was embarrassed to be saying it, but in that situation the easy solution is to all agree he scored seven points and to retake with a different answer. We’ve done that a couple of times with ‘correct’ answers.”
(Image: TV GRAB)
He added: “A very easy fix, and not an uncommon one.”
Journalist Scott Bryan followed up on Twitter: “Sorry to go serious on something quite trivial – but as someone who was called a ‘p*****r’ by homophobes on a daily basis why on earth is Countdown allowing it to be said cheerfully as an answer on daytime television?
“Yes, I know it is in the dictionary.
(Image: Rachel Joseph/ Channel 4)
“But having been at the receiving end of that word as abuse for years (along with f*****t), then hearing it casually as an answer on a quiz show… Jesus Christ.”
Scott added: “The amount of people saying ‘it is only a word’, I’m pretty sure it was only a word back in the classrooms back then too. yet it feels the same.”
But now Channel 4 has offered an official apology after the word was aired.
A statement to The Mirror read: “The airing of the word was an error of judgement. It does not align with our values and we apologise for any offence caused.”
It comes after new Countdown host Anne Robinson was criticised by fans for her ‘homophobic’ remarks made while presenting The Weakest Link.
Back in 2006, the host repeatedly used ‘homophobic’ innuendo to belittle a contestant during a Celebrity Chefs special.
The presenter asked the contestant: “What do you do in your restaurant – just mince around?”
She then said: “Before you go, and bear in mind that this is a family show, what’s the strangest thing you’ve ever put in your mouth?”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
