Channel 4 pulls Bo' Selecta after Leigh Francis apology

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief

Published: June 10 2020 | 14:16

Last updated: July 16 2020 | 12:11

Channel 4 removes Bo' Selecta! from its on-demand service after Leigh Francis apologises for using blackface in the show.

Channel 4 has removed all episodes of Bo' Selecta! from its on-demand service All4 as the Black Lives Matter movement gains more steam.

The horrific death of George Floyd, an African-American man, at the hands of a white US police officer last month has caused mass civil unrest around the world and prompted broadcasters to rethink whether their content remains appropriate viewing.

In the sketch show Bo' Selecta!, which ran for 45 episodes between 2002 and 2009, comedian Leigh Francis portrayed caricature versions of a number of celebrities, 'blacking up' to play the non-white stars.

Among his notable subjects were Michael Jackson, Craig David and talk show host Trisha Goddard, who this week elicited a teary apology from Francis to "anyone who was offended" by the show.

C4 has now responded by pulling the show from All4, in addition to spinoff series Bo' in the USA, which featured Francis as a version of Oprah Winfrey who in one sketch was preoccupied with the smell caused by "fried chicken".

While the episodes are now no longer accessible through Channel 4, the first three series of the show remain available to watch through Amazon Prime Video at the time of writing.

Other shows to have disappeared in recent days include Little Britain, Come Fly With Me and most of Chris Lilley's back catalogue.