The BBC has responded to criticism it faced when the broadcaster was accused of “transphobia” following backlash on social media over the weekend.
It came as singer Ricky Wilson appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, but a pro-trans shirt he was sporting seemed to be blurred out.
The clip from the Saturday night show saw the 46-year-old unexpectedly finding himself in front of comedian McIntyre’s live audience as part of a prank segment.
As the clip was widely circulated soon after, some footage showed the message printed on his shirt “trans rights are human rights” looking distorted.
Trans activists quickly took to social media to question why the message appeared to be blurred in some instances.
Responding to the claims, a BBC spokesperson told GB News: “As is standard practice on any entertainment show and in line with the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines, appropriate steps are taken to reduce the inclusion of any overt branding or slogans that may be present, regardless of the wording or statement in question.”
Singer Ricky Wilson was tricked into appearing on the comedian's show
BBC
McIntyre’s show typically includes a section in which an unsuspecting famous face or a guest is tricked into thinking they’ve been invited to a different event before they realise they are in fact being pranked by the popular comedian.
Wilson believed he had been invited to an adult’s play centre, but The Kaiser Chiefs singer was secretly being filmed.
Eventually, he found himself on stage where he was joined by his fellow band mates to sing ones of their most popular tracks, I Predict a Riot.
While most people applauded his appearance and the show, X, formerly known as Twitter, was flooded with complaints by trans activists.
Ricky Wilson's shirt became a topic of conversation on social media
BBC
While some footage showed the singer’s shirt more clearly, many were insistent the broadcaster had blurred parts of it due to transphobia.
However, some viewers did point out that the message could be clearly read while Wilson was on stage.
While Wilson himself hasn’t addressed the controversy, he shared a behind-the-scenes moment on his Instagram account.
He shared the clip, which was posted by Virgin Radio UK and captioned: “A sneak peek behind-the-scenes on Michael McIntyre’s hilarious prank call into Ricky Wilson’s show.”
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Trans activists complained about Wilson's shirt seeming to be 'blurred'
BBC
Fans took to the comment section to applaud the skit.
“Definitely the funniest thing Michael McIntyre has done,” One wrote while a second commented: “This was incredible! What an amazing performance too. A top man.”
“Absolutely brilliant need to get from behind the dj desk and back behind the microphone doing what you do best,” another enthused.
A fourth added: “It was hilarious and your performance was off the scale good.” (sic)