Joke with slur about Victoria Beckham cut from BBC show after complaints
The BBC has removed a joke from an episode of Have I Got News for You following complaints that it was unnecessarily offensive toward Victoria Beckham. The network concluded that the remark, made by host Katherine Ryan, lacked editorial justification and subsequently edited the segment out of the program.
The BBC has edited an episode of the television show Have I Got News for You to remove a controversial joke made by host Katherine Ryan. During a broadcast originally aired on November 7, a letter allegedly written by David Beckham was discussed, which contained an offensive slur. Following the mention of the letter, Ryan made a joke that compared Victoria Beckham to the derogatory term. Two formal complaints were filed against the broadcaster, with viewers labeling the remark as unnecessarily offensive and inappropriate for the show.
In response to the complaints, the BBC's editorial standards department reviewed the content and agreed that the remark lacked proper justification. While the network noted that its guidelines do not strictly forbid offensive language, every instance must be editorially sound. As a result, the network decided to remove the specific segment from the program and re-upload the edited version. Victoria Beckham has not issued any public statements regarding the incident or the subsequent decision by the network.
Based on reporting by nu. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
