Sir David Beckham’s fans have hit out at Have I Got News For You for airing a curse word about him getting a knighthood.
Comedians Katherine Ryan and Maisie Adams both said “c**t” during Friday’s episode of the BBC comedy quiz show while discussing Beckham receiving his knighthood at Windsor Castle.
During the segment, Ian Hislop said: “But he was meant not to get it, wasn’t he? ‘Cause he’d been pitching for it, and it was considered bad form to be desperate.”
Ryan, who was hosting the show, referred to the email leak scandal a decade earlier during which Beckham allegedly complained about not being given a knighthood.
She read from her script: “In 2013, when he did not get a knighthood, he emailed his PR saying, ‘They’re a bunch of c**ts I expected nothing less.’”
Adams quipped: “It would have been nice and maybe, like, poetic if Charles had got his own back just by knighting him and then going, ‘Arise, you c**t.’”
Some viewers called out the language online, branding it “jarring” and “unacceptable”.
“Heads should roll for allowing the C word to be broadcast at least twice during HIGNFY,” one wrote on X.
“Unacceptable broadcasting of the ‘C’ word. This is a recorded programme, so who at the BBC felt it was ok not to cut or bleep it out? Really disappointing,” another added.
“Something very odd and jarring about hearing the c word (c**t) on Have I Got News For You,” a third posted.
Ryan, who recently welcomed her fourth child, made light of the backlash on her Instagram page.
She screenshotted an article with the headline, “Have I Got News For You sparks uproar for broadcasting c-word multiple times” and joked in the caption: “And that was just my intro!”
During the Have I Got News For You episode, Ryan addressed Adams’ use of the C-word on air.
After Adams’ comment, Ryan told the camera: “I don’t know that we are allowed to broadcast the C-word.”
She added with a deadpan expression: “But you did reference Victoria Beckham earlier, and we’ll allow that.”
As the crowd winced, the comic protested: “I like her really, I didn’t expect that reaction.”
Ryan also shared Beckham’s response to the alleged leaked emails of 2013.
“I do have to clarify, David Beckham denies some of what is in these alleged emails,” she outlined.
“He says it’s the work of Russian hackers.”
Beckham’s spokesperson said at the time of the email incident: “This story is based on outdated material taken out of context from hacked and doctored private emails from a third-party server and gives a deliberately inaccurate picture.”
The England legend received his knighthood for services to sport and charity last week.
Watching on were his fashion designer and former Spice Girl wife, Victoria and his parents Ted Beckham and Sandra West.
Reflecting on his life dream, he said it was a day “full of emotion and tears”.
“Today has been such an emotional day - more emotion than nerves, in all honesty. There have been a few tears and a lot of emotion. It’s been a very special day. It’s something that we can all be proud of today as a family,” he told The Sun.
“To have my parents there today, to have my wife there to celebrate with my children, it makes it a very emotional day.
“To receive such an important honour from His Majesty the King - one of the most elegant men, and someone from the most important and respected institution in the world.”
The footballer later celebrated with an afterparty at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in west London that was attended by his family - although his son Brooklyn was notably missing amid persistent rumours of a feud.
