Humpty Dumpty given a happy ending by 'politically correct' BBC



Big fall: The words for Humpty Dumpty were changed on CBeebies programme Something Special

The BBC was yesterday accused of 'outrageous' political correctness after changing the words to a nursery rhyme on a children's show.

CBeebies programme Something Special altered the words to Humpty Dumpty and gave it a more cheerful ending.

Instead of being unable to 'put Humpty together again', the new version claimed all the King's horses and all the King's men 'made Humpty happy again'.

'I very much doubt that any child has in the slightest bit been traumatised by Humpty Dumpty or any other age-old nursery rhyme,' said John Midgley of the Campaign Against Political Correctness.

'This is an unnecessary and outrageous piece of political correctness directed at young children.'

The amended version of Humpty Dumpty was broadcast on Friday.

The Something Special show, presented by Justin Fletcher, is aimed at children with learning difficulties but is popular with all children under the age of five.

The BBC insisted the nursery rhyme was not modified due to its target audience and said it had only been changed for 'creative' purposes.

But Tom Harris, the Labour MP for Glasgow South, called the alteration 'ridiculous'.

'Kids should be exposed to real life a bit, not cosseted away,' he said.

The former transport minister who watched the episode of Something Special with his sons aged five and three, claimed CBeebies was developing a worrying trend of giving its young viewers a sanitised version of the world.

In a recent episode of Big Cook Little Cook - a cookery show on the BBC's children's channel - the tale of Little Miss Muffet ended with the girl befriending the spider, rather than running away in fright.

'I do not think it's the biggest problem but I do have a problem with sanitising nursery rhymes and cartoons for children,' Mr Harris said.



'I think it's becoming a bit too much of a trend with the BBC. We need to stop this moronic activity.'









He added: 'I'm a big supporter of what political correctness was originally - about getting rid of racist or sexist images.

'Thirty and 40-year-olds need to stop telling three-year-olds what to think. Let them see gory and violent cartoons and let them be children.'

Some theories claim Humpty Dumpty is actually about a large cannon used by the Royalists during the English Civil War.

A shot from a Parliamentary cannon caused it to fall to the ground and the Royalists failed to raise the cannon as it was so heavy.

Last night a BBC spokesman said: 'We play nursery rhymes with their original lyrics all the time and the small change to Humpty Dumpty was done for no other reason than being creative and entertaining.'

But Mr Midgley, who explored the origins of Humpty Dumpty in his book The Politically Correct Scrapbook, disagreed.

'Those who made this decision should replace political correctness with common sense,' he said.