The BBC has stepped in to defend the Vicar of Dibley after viewer backlash about its Black Lives Matter scene - which hasn't even aired yet.
The first of three new 10-minute Christmas special episodes of the show aired on Monday night, but was heavily criticised by viewers.
Some branded it "unfunny", with one even calling it an "abomination", and the BBC has confirmed to Metro it has already received over 100 complaints about the episode.
It comes after there was a huge backlash over the decision to pay tribute to BLM in an upcoming episode, with Dawn French's character Geraldine Granger-turned-Kennedy leading her congregation in showing solidarity to the movement by taking the knee, a popular gesture taken by BLM supporters.
A statement said Geraldine will be "processing" this year's most topical events in her own "outspoken and high-spirited way".
A BBC spokesperson said: "In The Vicar of Dibley in Lockdown, Geraldine shares with her congregation her take on some of the key stories of 2020, including clapping for the NHS, the Black Lives Matter movement, lockdown, and school exams being cancelled.
"She is a much-loved and well-established comic character and will be seen processing the year's events in her familiar outspoken and high-spirited way."
The scene, which will air in a coming episode, will see Geraldine speak about the murder of George Floyd by American police officers and racism as a wider issue.
Geraldine admits in the episode that the fictional village of Dibley isn't the most racially diverse place.
"I don't think it matters where you're from," she says.
"I think it matters that you do something about it because Jesus would, wouldn't he?
"Until all lives matter the same, we are doing something very wrong.
"We need to focus on justice for a huge chunk of our countrymen and women who seem to have a very bad, weird deal from the day they're born."
