Angus Deayton has been censured by the BBC for making a "pungently personal" joke about Sir Jimmy Savile and his late mother.

Deayton made the remark on BBC1 panel show Would I Lie To You?, his most high-profile job for the BBC since he was sacked from Have I Got News For You? five years ago.

"Sir Jimmy is quite keen on seeing how blue mouldy bits develop," said Deayton.

"That's why he stayed with his mum so long after she died. The blue bit in cheese is in fact a living fungus that smells slightly off and serves no useful purpose - much like Sir Jimmy himself nowadays."

But not all the audience appeared to appreciate the joke. Nor did one of the show's two regular team captains, Lee Mack, who told Deayton: "I am sorry but that is well out of order."

The BBC's editorial complaints unit intervened following a complaint from a viewer who said the joke had exceeded the bounds of acceptability.

"The scripted remarks, which focused on Sir Jimmy's age and stories which had been current at the time of his mother's death more than 25 years ago, were out of keeping with the tone of the preceding material and more pungently personal than warranted by his position in the public eye," the ECU said.

The complaints unit, which deals with serious complaints about breaches of the BBC's editorial standards, upheld the viewer's complaint.

Deayton's joke was included in an episode of Would I Lie To You? broadcast on BBC1 on July 28 this year.

It followed a part of the show in which guest panellist Claudia Winkleman admitted once writing to Jim'll Fix It to ask to meet Abba.

She was offered the chance to find out how the blue bits were made in cheese instead.

The ECU said the issue would be discussed with the show's producers - it is made by Zeppotron, part of Big Brother producer Endemol - and added the episode would not be repeated in its present form.

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