The BBC’s executive complaints unit has determined that a comment made during an episode of Have I Got News For You broadcast on 7 November was not editorially justified, according to a ruling released this week.
The programme, hosted by Katherine Ryan, featured an email purportedly from Sir David Beckham containing strong language. During the segment, Ryan made a remark linking Victoria Beckham to an offensive term while discussing the inclusion of the word in the episode’s content. Two viewers filed complaints characterizing the statement as gratuitously offensive.
The ECU acknowledged that the inclusion of strong language itself was justified by its alleged appearance in the leaked emails and the resulting satirical discussion. However, the unit determined that a separate comment presented Victoria Beckham in a manner equivalent to an offensive word, which lacked editorial justification under BBC guidelines. The guidelines do not require programmes to avoid causing offence but mandate that any offence included must be editorially warranted.
In response to the ruling, BBC Content management has been notified. An edited version of the episode reflecting the ECU’s findings will replace the current version available on iPlayer. The BBC noted it carried a verbal warning at the start of the post-watershed programme and stated it does not intend to offend its audience.
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