BBC apologises for showing 'word cloud' including 'c***' and 't***'

BBC apologises for showing ‘cloud’ of words including ‘c***’ and ‘t***’ which the public used to describe new PM Rishi Sunak

• BBC used a ‘word cloud’ created from the public’s perceptions of PM Rishi Sunak
• While some called him ‘intelligent’ and ‘strong’, others called him a ‘c***’ and t***’
• The ‘C-word’ was censored in the graphic, but the ‘T-word’ was spelt out in full

The BBC apologised last night after broadcasting a ‘cloud’ of words including ‘c***’ and ‘t***’ which the public used to describe new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Viewers of the BBC News Channel were shown a visual representation of the most popular words about the winner of the Conservative leadership contest. 

Alongside positive platitudes including ‘clever’, ‘capable’ and ‘strong’, the 42-year-old was also described using four-letter euphemisms for female genitalia.

In a statement, the corporation said: ‘The programme briefly showed a “word cloud” graphic that included two offensive words (one of them with an asterisk).

‘The word cloud had been produced by polling company Savanta ComRes that had asked the public to describe Rishi Sunak in one word.

‘We accept that a mistake was made allowing it to be broadcast and apologise if any offence was caused.’

The BBC screened a ‘cloud’ of words which the public used to describe Prime Minister Rishi Sunak online, but failed to spot it included c*** and t***

Bizarrely ‘c***’, one of the most offensive words in the English language, was edited on-screen and missing out the vowel in an attempt to protect viewers. But ‘t***’ appeared in full and unedited.

They were shown for around ten seconds on Monday afternoon, alongside other adjectives used to describe Mr Sunak.

The visualisation, created by polling research company Savanta ComRes and known as a ‘word cloud’, is used to demonstrate how popular certain phrases or words are.

It gives greater prominence to those which occur most frequently.

The largest word on the graphic was ‘rich’, while ‘good’ and ‘okay’ were also prominent.

It is the second time in just a few days that the BBC has found itself in hot water with the Government. 

Presenter Martine Croxall was taken off air this week for saying ‘am I allowed to be this gleeful?’ about Boris Johnson’s decision to pull out of the race to become PM

Presenter Martine Croxall was taken off air this week for saying ‘am I allowed to be this gleeful?’ about Boris Johnson’s decision to pull out of the race to become PM.

During Monday’s The Papers programme, in which members of the press and experts look at the next day’s news pages, she also laughed at a joke about the ex-prime minister – then admitted she was ‘probably breaking some sort of terrible due impartiality rule by giggling’.

The BBC said it was ‘urgently reviewing’ Sunday night’s edition of The Papers on its News channel. 

Miss Croxall, who was hosting the show, has been taken off air until the investigation is complete.

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