Now Ofcom clears Frankie Boyle over ‘vile’ joke about petrol bombing the Royal Family: TV watchdog calls Scottish comic’s gag ‘clearly comedic’ – after ALSO refusing to take action for Bridgerton star’s ‘terribly white’ Coronation remark
- Boyle, 50, said Britons should ‘raise a bottle’ filled with petrol to the Royal Family
- Ofcom has now said the joke was ‘clearly comedic’ and threw out 114 complaints
Frankie Boyle has been cleared by TV watchdog Ofcom after he joked about petrol bombing members of the royal family.
Boyle, 50, quipped that Britons should ‘raise a bottle’ filled with ‘petrol’ and a ‘burning rag’ to the Royal Family in the trailer for his Channel 4 documentary Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy.
But Ofcom has now ruled the comment was ‘clearly comedic’ and threw out 114 complaints which claimed it incited violence towards members of the Royal Family.
The regulator also dismissed a further 22 complaints which claimed the hour-long show, which aired on April 30 this year, was disrespectful to the late Queen and Royal Family.
It comes after the regulator said it wouldn’t take action over Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh’s description of the Buckingham Palace balcony as ‘terribly white’ which received 8,371 complaints.
Boyle (left), 50, quipped that Britons should ‘raise a bottle’ filled with ‘petrol’ and a ‘burning rag’ to the Royal Family in the trailer for his Channel 4 documentary Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy. Pictured: Boyle with artist Kit Green (right)
Ofcom has now ruled the comment was ‘clearly comedic’ and threw out 114 complaints which claimed it incited violence towards members of the Royal Family
READ MORE: Ofcom WON’T take action over Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh’s ‘terribly white’ comment about Buckingham Palace balcony
In the trailer for the show, which was aired in the run-up to King Charles’ coronation, he said: ‘Let’s get out on the streets and raise a bottle to them filled with petrol and a burning rag.
And in the full documentary he added: ‘I didn’t make any jokes when the Queen died.
‘I maintained a strict silence as I tried to sneak back out of her bedroom.’
Ofcom assessed the programme but said it did not raise issues that warranted an official investigation under the Broadcasting Code.
An Ofcom spokesman said: ‘We assessed complaints from viewers who felt this comedy programme was disrespectful towards the royal family.
‘We took into account audience expectations of the presenter, the fact the programme was broadcast after the watershed, and the advance warning displayed that it contained potentially offensive views about the monarchy.’
Regarding Boyle’s comments in the trailer, the spokesman added: ‘In our view, Frankie Boyle’s delivery and the nature of the trailer, meant that these references were clearly comedic rather than a serious incitement to violence, and so we will not be pursuing this further.’
The programme saw Glasgow-born Boyle meet with royal experts to try and gain an insight into why they love the institution.
It had originally been due to air last year but was postponed following the Queen’s death in September.
In July last year Boyle was slammed for making a ‘rape joke’ about TV presenter Holly Willoughby.
Boyle on stage during day three of Latitude Festival 2022 at Henham Park last year where he made a controversial joke about Holly Willoughby
The Scottish comedian described a game about ‘killing and sh***ing’ people – which included Miss Willoughby – during a set at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk.
Sources recalled Boyle saying: ‘I’d obviously kill her and rape her afterwards. I’m joking – I’d rape her first.’
The comedian has also previously made jokes about Katie Price’s autistic son Harvey.
Following his comment about Harvey and a series of offensive jokes about the Paralympic Games, Channel 4 bosses ruled out the possibility he would return to the channel in 2013.
Prior to being given his New World Order show, Boyle had been axed from a Comic Relief broadcast by BBC bosses after he said he wished the Queen had died before her Diamond Jubilee.
In a 10-minute routine on Russell Brand’s Give It Up For Comic Relief event at London’s Wembley Arena in 2013, he also drew gasps from the 12,500-strong audience with a jibe at Oscar Pistorious.
Boyle’s routine was deemed in such bad taste that it was axed from the ‘almost-live’ broadcast of the show on BBC Three
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