Celebrity Big Brother episode receives the most Ofcom complaints of the decade
It had over 25,000 complaints
Last updated 20th Dec 2019
Ofcom has revealed their list of the top 10 TV complaints of the decade, with a Celebrity Big Brother episode topping it. The TV regulator revealed that more than 25,000 people made a complaint about the moment Roxanne Pallett alleged that fellow housemate Ryan Thomas had assaulted her.
In a statement, Ofcom said that the episode "accounted for around half of all broadcasting complaints in 2018, making it by far the most complained-about programme of the decade."
Receiving 25,327 complaints, the incident became a national talking point, with Ryan going on to win the show and both he and Roxanne being interviewed about the situation, the latter apologising for her allegations.
Tony Close, Ofcom's Director of Content Standards, said of the findings, "People expect particular standards from TV and radio shows. Quite rightly, they feel passionately about programmes and want to have their say. Overwhelmingly, the most contentious programmes of the 2010s were either reality shows – like Love Island, Big Brother and The X Factor – or news and current affairs.
"Why is that? One important reason might be the rise of social media over the decade. We know people like to discuss reality shows online. And in a time of political change, social media has also shaped increasingly passionate debate around news coverage."
The top 10 most complained-about TV moments of the decades are as follows:
No. 1) Celebrity Big Brother: August & September 2018, 25,327 complaints.
No. 2) Loose Women: August 2018, 8,002 complaints - 7,912 were related to the moment Kim Woodburn walked off the set halfway through the interview which was done in the hope that Kim and her CBB housemate Coleen Nolan could reconcile after their falling out on the show.
No. 3) UKIP: The First 100 Days: February 2015, 6,187 complaints with the majority unhappy over the way the party were portrayed, saying it was offensive, misleading and biased.
No. 4) Sky News: September 2018, 3,463 complaints alleging that an interview with Tommy Robinson was biased and defamatory.
No. 5) The X Factor: December 2010, 2,868 complaints about the performances by Christina Aguilera and Rihanna, saying it was too explicit for pre-9pm watershed.
No. 6) Channel 4 News: March 2019, 2,717 complaints over Jon Snow's comment after a day of Brexit rallies and protests that he had "never seen so many white people in one place".
No. 7) Love Island: July 2018, 2,644 complaints about emotional distress towards the contestants, specifically Dani Dyer and a clip of her boyfriend Jack and his former girlfriend.
No. 8) The Wright Stuff: December 2011, 2,358 complaints on comments made by Matthew Wright and a guest about the first murder case in the Hebrides for 40 years.
No. 9) Big Brother: June 2015, 2,024 complaints about comments made by contestants.
No. 10) Sky News with Kay Burley: 1,838 complaints about Kay Burley's interview with Chief Executive of Merlin Entertainment, Nick Varney, following the rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers.
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