Now it's The Royle Family's turn for BBC trigger warning: Sitcom contains 'discriminatory language'

Daily Mail​

05-07-2025

It left fans in stitches across three critically acclaimed seasons with its slice of Manchester life, spawning some classic catchphrases.
But the fun is over for The Royle Family after the iconic sitcom became the latest show to be slapped with a BBC trigger warning.
Seven episodes have been flagged by regulators thanks to 'discriminatory language some viewers may find offensive'.
The notices, which can be seen on iPlayer, do not explain which scenes contribute towards the warnings, The Sun reports.
No episodes from series one have received the content alert but episodes one, three and six from series two, which aired in 1999, and episode one from series three, which went out in 2000, have been deemed offensive.
The latter perhaps has something to do with Anthony Royle, played by Ralf Little, describing a friend as a 'batty boy'.
Two of the five Christmas specials, from 2008 and 2009, have also been adorned with the warning.
It's not the first time the corporation has flagged the show to viewers for being potentially problematic.
In 2021, a scene where TV-obsessed protagonist Jim, played by Ricky Tomlinson, calls celebrity interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen a 'nancy boy' was highlighted.
At its peak, 12 million people watched each episode of The Royle Family with lead character Jim a fan favourite, partly for his famous catchphrase, 'my a*se'.
The show also starred Sue Johnston as his wife Barbara and Caroline Ahern as their daughter Denise Best, as well as Craig Cash, Little and Liz Smith.
The last of the series' 25 episodes was broadcast on Christmas Day 2012.
The BBC has been approached for comment.
It comes just days after the BBC also hit The Fast Show with a disclaimer.
Originally airing in the 90s, the classic stars Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson with quick-fire sketches that depicted British society at the time.
However, its infamous Suit You, Sir scenes have been hit with a 'woke' warning by BBC bosses.
The Sun revealed two episodes contain the warning, which advises viewers of 'discriminatory language' before they can play the show.
One episode from series three, that aired in December 1997, carries a scene where the tailors ask a customer if they would like to have sex with a 'she-male'.
In reply, the customer says: 'Come on you tr**nies!'
Meanwhile, an episode from the second series that originally broadcast in 1996, sees two men make advances on women.
When they're swiftly rejected, the pair declare the women are 'lesbians'.
The Fast Show aired for four series on the BBC before it was axed by bosses in 1997 after 28 episodes, which are all now available on iPlayer.
The BBC also recently hit Ricky Gervais's comedy series The Office with a similar warning.
The hit mockumentary sitcom created by comedian Gervais, 64, as well as Stephen Merchant, famously stars him as paper company boss David Brent.
Both series of the noughties programme were already labelled with a G symbol on BBC iPlayer, which flags parental guidance for younger viewers.
But nearly half of the BBC series' 14 episodes, following life at Wernham Hogg's Slough office, now also carry the additional content notice.
In series one, which aired in 2001, the first and last episodes - Downsize and Judgement - bear the alert.
Meanwhile, a whopping half of the second series, released in 2002, has been hit with trigger warnings - episodes one, three and five, named Merger, Party and Charity.
At the start of the year it was revealed how Only Fools and Horses was hit with various disclaimers around 'racial language', words that 'may offend' and 'dated attitudes and behaviours'.
Only two of seven series of the eighties hit show - which is available to watch on ITV and often reruns on digital channel U&Gold - did not have any episodes at all slapped with the warnings.