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ITV
Amanda Holden and Elizabeth of The Haunting on Britain’s Got Talent
ITV will not be penalised for Amanda Holden’s swearing during an episode of Britain’s Got Talent.
The BGT judge shouted a strong swear word as she took part in an unsettling magic act in May, prompting 56 complaints to the media watchdog Ocfom.
Ofcom rules say the most offensive language must not be broadcast before the 9pm watershed.
But the regulator said it wouldn’t take action because the show was live and immediate apologies were given.
“We took into account that this was a live broadcast of an emotive performance involving Amanda Holden, which triggered her spontaneous reaction,” Ofcom said.
“We also took into account that the judges, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell, and the presenter, Ant McPartlin, gave a full apology on-air straight after the incident. In light of the above, Ofcom’s view is that this matter is resolved.”
Holden was visibly shaken when she was put through a spooky routine by an act called The Haunting, in which she was contacted by the “ghost” of an 11-year-old girl.
After returning to the judges’ desk, she said: “I just really want to apologise if I said anything. I said a really terrible word.”
She added: “I know there are kids watching, I know my kids are watching, so massive apologies. I can honestly say I feel terrified.”
Afterwards, McPartlin added: “We’d like to apologise if you heard any bad language there from Amanda. She was very, very scared as you could see.”
Another 214 people complained about the scary nature of the routine, but Ofcom dismissed those complaints last month, saying there had been “strong, clear warnings”.
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There were 700 complaints about how Love Island’s Lucie was treated by Joe and other contestants
Meanwhile, Ofcom has dismissed more than 1,000 complaints about Love Island from mid-June to mid-July.
Most of them centred around the events of two episodes. Seven hundred people complained about how Lucie had been treated by the other female contestants and her partner Joe on the 16 June episode.
“While we understand some viewers were concerned for her wellbeing, we think most viewers would expect to see emotionally-charged scenes in a programme which shines a light on people’s relationships,” an Ofcom statement said.
“We also took into account that the contestant received support from others, particularly following her partner’s departure.”
After the 25 June episode, 288 viewers complained that Anna and Amber bullied Danny and Arabella. “We think most viewers would expect highly-charged, confrontational scenes as the contestants explore new friendships and relationships,” Ofcom said.
“In Ofcom’s view, the scenes of emotional confrontation were likely to have been within audience expectations.”
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