Channel 4 issued a formal apology after broadcasting a homophobic slur on Countdown.
Countdown contestants were given the letters AOOEDRPFT and challenged to create the longest world possible.
After explaining he had 'an inappropriate seven' contestant Matt Gould gave the slur as one of the answers in the words round on Monday, MirrorOnline reports.
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Matt said he assumed his answer would be edited out and replaced with a more acceptable word during the editing process.
The choice from Channel 4 to air the slur left fans, contestants and gameshow hosts questioning why it wasn't edited out.
Pointless host Richard Osman said he was surprised the offensive word wasn’t cut.
Richard said: “The contestant was embarrassed to be saying it, but in that situation the easy solution is to all agree he scored seven points and to retake with a different answer. We’ve done that a couple of times with ‘correct’ answers.”
He added: “A very easy fix, and not an uncommon one.”
Journalist Scott Bryan said: “As someone who was called a “p*****r” by homophobes on a daily basis why on earth is Countdown allowing it to be said cheerfully as an answer on daytime television? Yes, I know it is in the dictionary.
“But having been at the receiving end of that word as abuse for years (along with f*****), then hearing it casually as an answer on a quiz show.”
He added: “The amount of people saying 'it is only a word,' I’m pretty sure it was only a word back in the classrooms back then too. Yet it feels the same.”
The contestant who said the word even agreed.
Matt Gould, from Whitley Bay, said: “I apologise for my part in this. I thought it might be edited differently.
"At the time I said ‘I have an inappropriate 7 that I know is in the dictionary or a riskier 7 that I’m less sure about’.
"I thought that bit would be reshot with a non offensive 7 letter word.”
C4 have now apologised. They said: “The airing of the word was an error of judgement. It does not align with our values and we apologise for any offence caused.”
Anne Robinson now hosts Countdown alongside Rachel Riley and Susie Dent.
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