BBC mauled for ruling 'girl' is offensive word: MP leads growing outcry at politically correct censorship

BBC cut the 'G-word' from repeat of a Commonwealth Games documentary

Critics attack the move, saying it is 'finding offence where none is taken'

Corporation spokesman says the word was cut 'just in case'



Its last political correctness row was over the use of the N-word.

Now, the BBC is once again under fire. Only this time, the dispute involves a rather less offensive term ... girl.

The corporation was accused of censorship after cutting the ‘G-word’ from a documentary on the Commonwealth Games.

Beaten by a ... BBC presenter Mark Beaumont is floored by Cynthia Rahming from the Bahamas

During the programme, presenter Mark Beaumont, 31, was flung to the ground by a young judo champion, and joked: ‘I am not sure I can live that down – being beaten by a 19-year-old-girl.’



His remarks were aired in full when the documentary, called The Queen’s Baton Relay, was first broadcast on the BBC News Channel in April.

But fearing viewers might take offence, the corporation decided to edit out the word ‘girl’ when it was repeated last week.

Critics, however, attacked the move. Tory MP Philip Davies, who sits on the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said: ‘They are finding offence where none is taken or intended.

‘We are going to end up in a situation where nobody is going to dare say anything lest some politically correct zealot deems it offensive.’



Mr Beaumont, a record-breaking cyclist and adventurer, also questioned why the cut was necessary, writing on Twitter: ‘Maybe the editor thought it was sexist – it wasn’t. I’m not worried about it.’

Even the teenage judo champion in question, Cynthia Rahming from the Bahamas, was baffled. ‘I wasn’t offended – I didn’t find it sexist,’ she told The Mail on Sunday.

The row comes a fortnight after the BBC was criticised for forcing veteran Radio Devon DJ David Lowe to quit for mistakenly playing an old version of The Sun Has Got His Hat On featuring the N-word.

'Zealots': Tory MP Philip Davies warned we could end up in a situation where no-one dared say anything in case they were accused of being un-PC

By contrast, Jeremy Clarkson kept his job despite appearing to mumble the same racist term in unaired Top Gear footage.

In the judo documentary, Mr Beaumont follows the baton tour through Commonwealth countries ahead of the Games in Glasgow in July.



Feminist novelist Kathy Lette also joined the storm of critcicism, saying: ‘If the athlete didn’t find it upsetting, why should the BBC mount their politically correct high horse and gallop off into the sanctimonious sunset?’

And viewers expressed their anger at the move. Andrew Ramsbottom wrote on Twitter: ‘Ha, now the BBC has really lost the plot. We now have the G-word that is not PC! Girl is now deemed sexist and can’t be used. Just wrong!’

Garry Sawyer added: ‘The BBC has gone PC mad, deleting the word “girl” from a doco for being sexist, what is this world coming to?’

Stephen Williams highlighted the corporation’s poor record of featuring women presenters aged over 50. He said: ‘BBC edit out word “girl” as though it might be construed as sexist! Dumping older women broadcasters alright though.’

But TV presenter Mariella Frostrup backed the corporation’s stance, telling the Mail on Sunday: ‘I can imagine why it would be controversial. The athlete may not have been offended but the BBC has to think of the sensibilities of everybody watching.’