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Celebrity Big Brother 2015: Ken Morley's racist language draws hundreds of Ofcom complaints

The media watchdog has received 233 complaints after the former Coronation Street star called US singer Alexander O'Neal a 'negro'

Robert de
Monday 12 January 2015 14:00 GMT
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British actor Ken Morley
British actor Ken Morley (Channel 5)

Hundreds of people have complained about the latest series of Celebrity Big Brother less than a week after it began, with former Coronation Street star Ken Morley the focus of viewers' anger.

Communications watchdog Ofcom said 233 people complained about the actor, who was given a formal warning by show bosses for using “unacceptable language” after he called US singer Alexander O'Neal a “negro”.

O'Neal responded angrily, telling Morley: “I'm just giving you some information - it's just 'black', we don't use 'negro' any more.”

Ofcom also received two complaints about offensive language used by Katie Hopkins and another four about former Baywatch star Jeremy Jackson, who was removed from the show after pulling former glamour model Chloe Goodman's bathrobe open.

Jackson, 34, was kicked off the Channel 5 show after former Page 3 girl Goodman, 21, claimed he drunkenly tried to look at her breasts while the pair were alone in the toilet.

The alleged incident, which was not shown on camera, came after Goodman went to Jackson's assistance as he vomited after drinking rum and vodka.

Hertfordshire Police, the force covering Borehamwood where the show is filmed, confirmed they are working with its producers to probe what happened.

The complaints about the latest series, which began last Wednesday, are being assessed by Ofcom.

Last year's series was the second most complained-about show of the year with 1,874 people contacting Ofcom about it.

The only programme with a worse record was the main Big Brother series which received 3,784 complaints, many of them centred on the behaviour of its eventual winner, Helen Wood, who was accused of bullying other contestants.

PA

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