Dan Wootton’s eponymous GB Information present and King Charles III’s coronation attracted probably the most complaints from U.Okay. viewers in 2023 in response to Ofcom.
The U.Okay. media regulator has unveiled its listing of probably the most complained about exhibits this yr. Unsurprisingly, most of them have been present affairs-related.
A September episode of Wootton’s present, “Dan Wootton Tonight,” topped the listing with 8,867 complaints after the anchor and his visitor, actor Laurence Fox, made what Ofcom known as “misogynistic feedback” a couple of feminine journalist. Ofcom is presently investigating the complaints.
In the meantime it was “Bridgerton” star Adjoa Andoh’s feedback through the king’s coronation again in Might that attracted the second highest variety of objections, with Ofcom receiving 8,421 complaints. Andoh, a visitor commentator on ITV’s broadcast of the ceremony, remarked that the Buckingham Palace balcony was “terribly white” as King Charles and his household appeared to wave to the crowds. Ofcom mentioned it could not examine the feedback, taking into consideration freedom of expression and the very fact the feedback have been a “private commentary.”
The third highest complained about present this yr, which noticed 2,391 complaints are available in, associated to “This Morning” anchor Richard Madeley. He requested a British politician with relations in Gaza whether or not they had heard “phrase on the road” about Hamas’s plans to homicide 1,400 civilians in Israel earlier than the Oct. 7 assault. Ofcom mentioned Madeley’s remarks have been “probably offensive” however acknowledged that in mild of the whole 15-minute interview, which included a dialogue of Hamas utilizing Gaza residents as human shields, the media regulator wouldn’t be investigating. Madeley apologized after the interview.
General in 2023 Ofcom obtained 69,236 complaints about 9,638 instances — twice as many complaints because the earlier yr — though they famous that the 2 most complained about packages made up almost 1 / 4 of that complete.
The complaints additionally don’t embody any regarding the BBC, that are investigated by the BBC themselves as per the company’s constitution.
Ofcom additionally famous that one in ten complaints associated to protection of the Hamas-Israel battle, which began in October.
Rounding out the highest 10 most complained about U.Okay. packages of 2023 have been:
4. “Jeremy Vine” on Channel 5, which obtained 2,302 complaints following a dialogue a couple of junior medical doctors’ pay dispute. (Ofcom didn’t take motion).
5. “Breakfast with Kay Burley” on Sky Information, which obtained 1,880 complaints after Burley requested an Israeli spokesperson whether or not Israel “values” the lives of Palestinians “much less” as a result of it had agreed to change 150 Palestinians convicted of offences together with tried homicide and terrorism for 50 youngster hostages and their moms. (Ofcom didn’t take motion).
6. “Lee Anderson’s Actual World” on GB Information, which obtained 1,697 complaints regarding the truth that each Anderson and his visitor are Conservative MPs. (Ofcom revealed an evaluation which discovered the present had sufficiently included a “big selection of serious views”).
7. “Breakfast with Kay Burley” on Sky Information, which obtained 1,640 complaints claiming Burley had misrepresented feedback by the Palestinian ambassador. (Ofcom remains to be assessing the complaints).
8. “Bare Schooling” on Channel 4, which obtained 1,285 complaints on account of nudity earlier than the watershed. (Ofcom didn’t take motion after an preliminary evaluation).
9. “This Morning” on ITV, which obtained 1,092 complaints after anchor Vanessa Feltz advised a caller to the present that her mother-in-law, who didn’t permit any gluten into her house on account of coeliac illness, was being “fully unreasonable.” The present addressed the backlash the subsequent day by inviting its resident physician to debate coeliac. (Ofcom remains to be assessing complaints).
10. “Love Island” on ITV2, which obtained 992 complaints claiming that one of many contestants was being bullied and complaining about one other contestant, who’d been voted off, returning to the present. (Ofcom didn’t take motion).
