Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner cleared by TV watchdogs over Sharron Davies slur
Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner did not fall foul of broadcasting rules by condemning a performance by Sharron Davies as like "faecal matter that won't flush", Ofcom ruled today.
The TV watchdog received more than 400 complaints following the judge's put-down about the former Olympic swimmer, who was eventually knocked out of the contest last night.
But Ofcom found that the cutting remark by Gardiner - who was likened by the regulator to a "pantomime villain" - was within the rules.
During an episode on January 31, Gardiner told Davies, 47, who was wearing a brown costume: "It was like watching faecal matter that won't flush - it goes around and around and around and in the end it doesn't go anywhere."
Ofcom received 443 complaints, with viewers saying the comments were offensive, upsetting and unsuitable to be heard by children.Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner did not fall foul of broadcasting rules by condemning a performance by Sharron Davies as like "faecal matter that won't flush", Ofcom ruled today.
The TV watchdog received more than 400 complaints following the judge's put-down about the former Olympic swimmer, who was eventually knocked out of the contest last night.
But Ofcom found that the cutting remark by Gardiner - who was likened by the regulator to a "pantomime villain" - was within the rules.
During an episode on January 31, Gardiner told Davies, 47, who was wearing a brown costume: "It was like watching faecal matter that won't flush - it goes around and around and around and in the end it doesn't go anywhere."
The watchdog found Gardiner used "unusual language" which was "potentially offensive" - but the watchdog considered that he is well-established as the acerbic "nasty" judge on the ITV1 show
By Jody Thompson, Mirror.co.uk 22/02/2010
