Ofcom has announced that it won’t investigate remarks made by Winston McKenzie in this series of Celebrity Big Brother even though it has received nearly 400 official complaints.
The media watchdog Ofcom has said it won’t be investigating Channel 5 after it broadcast the “homophobic” and bigoted views by London Mayoral hopeful Winston McKenzie.
When questioned whether he could deal with gay people during his time in the Celebrity Big Brother house, McKenzie said in his initial VT he,
…Could cope with a homosexual in the house. I guess I’ll just have to stand with my back against a brick wall all the time,” he said.
A statement released by the watchdog said,
“We are satisfied that Channel 5 broadcast clear and appropriate warnings about the potentially offensive content, and intervened in heated exchanges and situations at appropriate times.
“We have also taken into account the audience’s expectations of this well-established reality format, and that the series is aired after the watershed.”
During his time in the house McKenzie tried to explain his feelings about same-sex parenting, which he said he feels is akin to child abuse. McKenzie was nominated by the LGBT charity Stonewall as Bigot Of The Year in 2013 for the comment.
