Children’s TV show Worzel Gummidge has had a trigger warning added to it by ITV.
The Sun reports the 1980s show, which starred Jon Pertwee as the scarecrow, now has a warning shown before it’s played.
The warning, for spin-off Worzel Gummidge Down Under, reads: “Contains language of the period that may offend.”
The message pops up on streaming service ITVX.
Insults said during the show include Worzel saying to Sally during an argument he will “knock your silly wooden head off”, to which she then calls him a “half-witted fleabag”.
It’s far from the first time TV shows have trigger warnings added to them retrospectively.
Earlier this year, Ardal O’Hanlon dismissed a Father Ted trigger warning as "truly ridiculous”.
The comedian, best known for playing Father Dougal in the beloved ’90s sitcom alongside the late Dermot Morgan as Father Ted, reacted to the decision after Channel 4 added a trigger warning to some classic episodes on its streaming service.
The Channel 4 comedy remains hugely popular decades after its original run, and fans were surprised to see it receive the same treatment as other classic sitcoms like Fawlty Towers and Dad’s Army, which have also carried trigger warnings in recent years.
The flagged episode, Are You Right There, Father Ted, includes a scene where Morgan’s character unintentionally appears to mock Chinese people while wearing a lampshade on his head. In another moment, a poorly placed mark on a window makes it look like he has a Hitler-style moustache.
A warning on the episode reads: “This episode was made in 1998 and contains language and racial impersonation which some viewers may find offensive.”
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, O’Hanlon agreed with host Richard Madeley, who called the warning “preposterous,” arguing that concerns over causing offence had gone too far.
The Death In Paradise star responded: “I know, I'm with you on that. I don't get it. You should have trigger warnings going into the supermarket maybe as well, some of the foodstuffs might offend you.
“Where do we start and where do we end? It is truly ridiculous.”
