Ofcom has said it is still not acceptable to swear on TV before the watershed, despite its decision not to investigate Strictly Come Dancing for a judge using the word “bollocks” during an early evening broadcast.
The broadcast regulator received 19 complaints about judge Bruno Tonioli’s use of the phrase “the bull’s bollocks” to describe a dance by pop star Jay McGuiness at 6:35pm last month.
However, a spokesperson said the regulator had decided not to launch an investigation due to the live nature of the show, the fact Tonioli’s fellow judges appeared embarrassed by the remark and the “swift and sincere” apology by presenter Tess Daly, which was followed by another apology immediately after the programme.
Despite the decision not to investigate Strictly, it is understood Ofcom will continue to impose rules barring most swearwords before the 9pm cut off.
Some reports interpreted the decision as an indication that broadcasters were free to use the word “bollocks” before the watershed as long as it appeared within a “comical context”, but Ofcom said this was not the case.
A study from Ofcom in 2010 classified “bollocks” in the second lowest category of swearwords along with others such as “bloody” and “crap”. Some members of the public, in particular older people, were found to find the words offensive, and said some care should be taken in using them before the watershed. Research published earlier this year by Ofcom found that four in 10 people thought there was too much swearing on TV.
