BBC apologises after playing song with racial slur live on 6Music

Cover of ‘The Mississippi Shore’ by Scottish singer Thomas Fraser was played during Cerys Matthews’ Sunday morning radio show

BBC Radio 6 Music has issued an apology after a song containing a racial slur was aired during Cerys Matthews’ radio show.

The Welsh singer-songwriter hosts a morning show every Sunday and played a cover of “The Mississippi Shore” by Scottish singer Thomas Fraser during a broadcast on 19 July.

The song’s lyrics include the line: “I can hear them d*****s singing. I can hear the guitars play”.

Listeners soon complained about the song’s offensive content, with some sending messages to Matthews on social media.

In response, Matthews wrote on Twitter: “Checking now – it shouldn’t have passed through of course. It’s a huge priority for me. Thanks for heads up.”

In a follow-up tweet, the presenter continued: “It shouldn’t have got through. Trying to redact it now xx.”

Fraser was a Shetland-based fisherman and country music singer who died due to a sailing accident in 1978. He did not release any music during his lifetime, instead gaining small notoriety through the posthumous release of his personal recordings.

BBC Radio 6 said in a statement: “Unfortunately an unedited version of this song containing an offensive term was broadcast in error on 6 Music.”

“We apologise for any offence caused and will work to ensure this does not happen again.”