Britain's Got Talent 'is the most complained about series of 2020'
Britain’s Got Talent becomes ‘the most complained about series of 2020’ with 27,006 viewers objecting over Alesha Dixon’s BLM necklace, THAT Diversity dance and ‘tasteless’ death jokes
Britain’s Got Talent has ‘become the most complained about series of the 2020’ after receiving 27,006 people contacted Ofcom.
Several moments throughout this year’s show have seen viewers log complaints, including 1,900 over judge Alesha Dixon’s choice of a necklace with the letters BLM.
However the biggest number, a whopping 24,500, came in response to Diversity’s performance of a Black Lives Matter routine on September 5.
Complaints: Britain’s Got Talent has ‘become the most complained about series of the 2020’ after receiving 27,006 people contacted Ofcom (pictured Diversity’s BLM inspired routine which sparked 24,500 complaints)
When all the numbers for several controversial moments are combined BGT is the most complained about show of the year, reports The Sun.
MailOnline has contacted BGT for a comment. Ofcom declined to comment when approached.
Ofcom has already announced they will not investigate the 24,500 complaints made concerning the dance, which has divided opinions around the country.
Since the routine, ITV has ‘stood with Diversity’ as they featured adverts in national newspapers, thought to have cost £260,000, in support of the controversial dance.
Controvery: Several moments throughout this year’s show have seen viewers log complaints, including 1,900 over judge Alesha Dixon’s choice of a necklace with the letters BLM
Judge Alesha Dixon also showed her support for the troupe by wearing a Black Lives Matter necklace on another instalment of the show. This sparked another 1,900 complaints for BGT.
While another moment which left 304 TV watchers uncomfortable and contacting Ofcom was comedian vicar Allan Finnegan’s ‘tasteless’ death jokes.
He had included several lines about funerals and people passing away during his performance, but many found the content insensitive during a pandemic.
More recently, Ofcom received 235 complaints about stand-in head judge Amanda Holden’s plunging navy gown.
Racy: Amanda Holden presenter wowed in a showstopping metallic navy gown during the fourth semi-final, but some fans claimed they could ‘see her nipples’ and the racy outfit choice received 325 complaints
On Saturday night the star’s gown featured a sweetheart neckline and was cinched around her svelte waist and also boasted a perilously high thigh slit up the leg.
And the week before this, Amanda was caught up in another furore when magician Kevin Quantum had her, Alesha Dixon, David Walliams and Ashley Banjo take part in an act with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.
The trickster wanted the stars to help him break a glass with an electrical current which would be generated by human contact through a plasma globe, but the magic act required them to touch fingers.
Complaints: Another 304 complaints were logged after some found vicar Allan Finnegan’s comedy routine which included jokes about death to be insensitive during the pandemic
Touching; Britain’s Got Talent was hit by MORE Ofcom complaints as viewers ‘criticise show for a lack of social distancing during magic trick’ which involved the judges and presenters
Prior to the trick, Kevin did ask all of the judges to sanitise their hands and made sure they stood at a two metre distance before they touched hands.
Some viewers weren’t impressed, sparking 19 more complaints and one person on Twitter to say the move was a bit ‘hypocritical’ considering current guidelines.
Another 48 complaints were also filed after a picture of caged dogs at a Thai market, shown as part of performing dog Miracle’s audition, were projected in the show.
BGT is not the only show to have seen viewers scorn in 2020, with Good Morning Britain’s Piers Morgan attracting more than 3,000 complaints from two interviews with care minister Helen Whately in April.
Making a statement: ITV rolled out full-page ads in solidarity with Diversity as Ofcom complaints reach 24,500 over the groups BLM-inspired routine. Ashley pictured
And almost 600 viewers also complained about another interview Piers did with Health Secretary Matt Hancock on April 16.
The presenter was later ’emphatically cleared’ by Ofcom after saying he must challenge politicians during the pandemic so ‘fewer people die’.
Ofcom announced at the time: ‘It is clearly in the public interest that broadcasters are able to hold those making political decisions to account.’
Gogglebox is another series which hasn’t made it through the year unscathed, with the show attracting complaints after the Michael family bemoaned the blame being placed on young people during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Controversy: Gogglebox also sparked complaints to media watchdog Ofcom after the Michael family bemoaned the blame being placed on young people during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Great British Bake Off also received 202 complaints after Matt Lucas lampooned Boris Johnson on the show as it returned for its 11th season in September.
Making his show debut, co-host Matt impersonated a bumbling Boris as he recreated a spoof press conference with the slogan ‘Stay Alert, Protect Cake, Save Loaves’.
An Ofcom spokesman told MailOnline: ‘We are assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.’
The most complained about moment of the past decade was during 2018’s Celebrity Big Brother, when Roxanne Pallett alleged assault by fellow housemate Ryan Thomas
More than 25,000 people objected to it and the episode accounted for around half of all broadcasting complaints in 2018, Ofcom revealed last year.
Uncanny: Matt Lucas left viewers in stitches as he impersonated a bumbling Boris Johnson (right) in his Great British Bake Off debut, however the sketch later sparked 202 complaints
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