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A Little Britain sketch has been called “explicitly racist and outdated” by Ofcom audience research.

The sketch featured in the television show, which was written and performed by David Walliams and Matt Lucas and aired from 2003 until 2006.

It depicts Walliams using racist language to describe an Asian student.

As part of a study into audience expectations on potentially offensive content across linear TV and streaming services, television regulator Ofcom showed people a number of clips.

Participants said they viewed the Little Britain content as “explicitly racist and outdated, and felt that society had moved on”.

“A few participants said they found it funny but seemed embarrassed to say this and could recognise why it would be offensive,” the report said.

Others were also surprised that the episode was still available to watch on BBC iPlayer, while some said video on demand platforms (VoD) were more appropriate for the content as they give viewers a choice about watching or not.

For some, the content was considered too problematic, even for VoD, the report said.

On iPlayer, the episode currently features a warning before a viewer clicks on the show, reading: “Contains adult humour. Contains discriminatory language.”

Viewers in the Ofcom study did not think the current rating was enough, suggesting that a warning about “the racist language and an explanation for why it was still accessible” was needed.

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Lucas and Walliams in character
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Lucas and Walliams in character as Little Britain regulars, Andy and Lou

The BBC defended its decision to show the sketch, saying it is “intended to expose and ridicule some of the outdated prejudices and racism that still exists in parts of British society, which is more apparent when viewing the sketches within the context of a full episode, and across the series as a whole”.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: “All jokes in our output are judged on context and intent.

“The programme is part of the BBC’s comedy archive, and information is provided for iPlayer viewers about the inclusion of discriminatory language.”

While some participants agreed the sketch was important as it reflects the beliefs of society at the time, others were concerned that it could normalise racist behaviours that could be repeated by young children.

“If I saw my daughter watching that and then mimicking it, I’d be horrified,” one respondent, a father from Scotland, said.

He added: “If kids are watching it, they need it to be explained that that’s not acceptable. It’s passed off as acceptable behaviour towards fellow human beings that come from a different part of the world.”

Other episodes of Little Britain have previously been removed from streaming services following criticism over the use of blackface.

Clips from Jimmy Carr’s stand-up special His Dark Material, which is available on Netflix, Channel 4 show The Handmaid’s Tale, Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys and Disney animation The Aristocats, which is on Disney+, were also shown to respondents during the Ofcom research.

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Harvey Weinstein accuser felt ‘the unthinkable was happening’ during alleged assault

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Harvey Weinstein accuser felt 'the unthinkable was happening' during alleged assault

A former TV production assistant has told a court she felt “the unthinkable was happening” during an alleged assault by Harvey Weinstein.

Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault

Miriam Haley is the first of the former movie mogul’s accusers to testify at his retrial, which is taking place as New York’s highest court overturned Weinstein’s 2020 conviction.

The former studio boss, 73, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of rape and two of forcing oral sex. He denies sexually assaulting anyone.

Ms Haley, who also goes by the name Mimi Haleyi, today told the court Weinstein held her down and forced oral sex on her after she told him: “No, no – it’s not going to happen.”

She dabbed her eyes as she recalled in court what went through her mind during the alleged July 2006 assault.

“The unthinkable was happening, I just thought any unthinkable thing could happen,” she said. “I just didn’t know where it ended.”

Weinstein, sitting between his lawyers, shook his head as she spoke.

Ms Haley also testified at Weinstein’s initial trial.

Miriam Haley, an accuser testifying at Harvey Weinstein's rape trial, arrives to the courtroom after a break in New York, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Miriam Haley arriving to the courtroom yesterday. Pic: AP

She began her testimony yesterday by describing how she got to know Weinstein, saying she had some inappropriate and suggestive interactions with him, while others were polite and professional.

Ms Haley maintains she was always looking to forge a professional connection – not sex or romance – with the Miramax founder.

Read more: What has happened to the #MeToo movement?

Weinstein’s lawyers are yet to question Ms Haley, but the defence has sought, often unsuccessfully, to object to prosecutors’ questions, such as whether Ms Haley had any sexual interest in the then-powerful producer. She said she did not.

The defence has argued that all of Weinstein’s accusers consented to sexual activities with him in the hopes of getting work in show business.

The 73-year-old’s retrial includes charges based on allegations from Haley and Jessica Mann, an actress who alleges Weinstein raped her in 2013.

For the first time, he is also being tried on an allegation of forcing oral sex on a former model, Kaja Sokola, in 2006.

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Why are Kneecap controversial?

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Why are Kneecap controversial?

Irish band Kneecap have had a meteoric rise in the music industry, with tens of millions of streams on Spotify alone and widespread critical acclaim.

The trio’s genre-bending rap/hip hop tracks, performed in a mixture of English and Irish-language, have clearly resonated with a mainstream audience, but their many controversial moments – some of them seemingly intentional – have helped them hit such heights.

Here’s what you need to know about the band and their most notorious moments.

Who’s in the band?

The group is made up of three friends from Belfast: Mo Chara (Liam Og O Hannaidh), Moglai Bap (Naoise O Caireallain) and DJ Provai (JJ O Dochartaigh).

The latter is a former teacher who still wears a balaclava, initially to disguise himself from his students when the band started out in 2017.

Kneecap performing in Belfast last year. Pic: PA
Image:
Kneecap performing in Belfast last year. Pic: PA

They were controversial from the get-go – and seemingly by design.

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Their debut track – CEARTA – is based on how band member Bap was stopped by police for spray-painting cearta, the Irish word for rights, on a bus stop.

Before fame, Bap and Chara, who have known each other for around 15 years, transformed a former youth club into party hub, where they would play their favourite tracks.

And it was through this venture into the club space that they later met DJ Provai.

The group called themselves Kneecap in reference to kneecapping, a common form of paramilitary punishment in Northern Ireland during The Troubles which sees someone shot or hit repeatedly on both knees.

From cult heroes to mainstream success

Kneecap released their first mixtape, 3cag, in 2018 to critical acclaim, and their 2019 single HOOD is their most streamed single to date.

But their success reached new levels in 2024 with the release of their 18-track album, Fine Art, which culminated in a headline-worthy crowd attending their early-morning timeslot at Glastonbury.

Kneecap played a headline-worthy set at Glastonbury
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Kneecap played a headline-worthy set at Glastonbury

The band then ventured into the film industry with a self-titled biopic about their rise to prominence, set in post-Troubles Belfast, starring themselves alongside Irish actor Michael Fassbender.

Before its full release last summer, it had been the talk of various film festivals, including Tribeca in New York.

Speaking to Sky News at Glastonbury last year, the band said the reaction had been “crazy”.

Since then it’s got crazier, with the film getting six BAFTA nominations and earning its writer and director Rich Peppiatt a win for Outstanding Debut.

Kneecap on the BAFTA Film Awards 2025 red carpet. Pic: PA
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Kneecap on the BAFTA Film Awards 2025 red carpet with film director Rich Peppiatt. Pic: PA

The band cracked the UK and are now following suit in the US, having sold out several shows there.

Court battle with the UK government

It would take a long time to cover all of Kneecap’s controversial moments; much of it is a part of their music itself.

They have been banned from Irish public service broadcaster RTE for their references to drug-taking.

But there have been some particularly high-profile incidents since 2024.

Kneecap fans during the Electric Picnic Festival in 2022. File pic: PA
Image:
Kneecap fans during the Electric Picnic Festival in 2022. File pic: PA


The first was their legal battle with the then-Conservative UK government, who blocked a grant for the band which was initially approved by the British Phonographic Industry.

The group’s application to the Music Export Growth Scheme, which supports UK-registered artists in global markets, was for £14,250, but Kemi Badenoch, then business secretary, stopped it.

At the time, a government spokesperson said it fully supported freedom of speech, but that it was “hardly surprising” it did not want to hand out UK taxpayers’ money to those opposed to the United Kingdom.

One of their most famous tracks had been 2019’s Get Your Brits Out, which had been criticised for being anti-British.

The trio have always denied this being the case.

Chara told Sky News after their Glastonbury set: “This is a thing that people love to spin, like we’re some anti-British band.

“We have English family. We have loads of good friends who call themselves British. It’s the British government we don’t like.”

Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK government in November, earning them the same amount that the grant was worth.

File photo dated 14/02/25 of (left to right) members of Kneecap, Liam Og O Hannaigh (Mo Chara), JJ O'Dochartaigh (aDJ Provai) and Naoise O Caireallain (Moglai Bap) attending the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards Ceremony at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has demanded the prosecution of rap trio Kneecap for allegedly calling for the death of Tory MPs. Video emerged of the group at a November 2023 gig appearing to show one member saying: "The on
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Left to right: Band members Mo Chara, DJ Provai and Moglai Bap. Pic: PA

DJ Provai said the band’s motivation was “equality”.

“For us, this action was never about £14,250; it could have been 50p,” he said, after the band said it would donate the funds to two Belfast charities.

“This was an attack on artistic culture, an attack on the Good Friday Agreement itself and an attack on Kneecap and our way of expressing ourselves.”

Calling for deaths of Conservative MPs

Police say they are assessing a video of a Kneecap performance from November 2023, in which a member of the trio allegedly called for the death of Conservative MPs.

The member is alleged to have said: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”

Two British MPs have been murdered in the past 10 years – Labour’s Jo Cox in 2016 and Conservative Sir David Amess in 2021.

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MPs daughter calls for Kneecap apology on The Sarah-Jane Mee Show

In a statement, Kneecap said they rejected “any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual. Ever.”

They added: “An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponised, as if it were a call to action.

“To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt.”

Pro-Palestinian messages at gigs

The investigation into the MP comments was announced several days after the Met said it had referred a different video from a Kneecap gig to be reviewed by counter-terror police.

Footage from that gig, at London’s Kentish Town Forum last November, appeared to show one member of the group shouting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”.

Hamas and Hezbollah are both proscribed as terrorist groups in the UK. Under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, it is an offence to express “an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation”.

The police say they are “assessing” both clips to “determine whether further police investigation is required”.

Kneecap have said they are facing a “co-ordinated smear campaign” after speaking out about “the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people”.

Kneecap fans at one of their concerts in 2022. File pic: PA
Image:
Kneecap fans at one of their concerts in 2022. File pic: PA

In their statement, they said: “Let us be unequivocal: we do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn all attacks on civilians, always. It is never okay. We know this more than anyone, given our nation’s history.

“Kneecap’s message has always been – and remains – one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs.”

Investigation comes after Coachella fallout

Just days before the police investigations were announced, TV personality Sharon Osbourne called for Kneecap’s US work visas to be revoked after accusing them of making “aggressive political statements” including “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech” at Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

As the band performed on the second night, they displayed words on the big screen reading: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.

“It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F*** Israel. Free Palestine”.

Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, which came after Hamas gunmen launched an attack killing 1,200 people in Israel on 7 October 2023, has seen at least 52,000 people killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.

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Speaking to Rolling Stone after Osbourne’s comments, Kneecap member Mo Chara said: “Her rant has so many holes in it that it hardly warrants a reply, but she should listen to War Pigs that was written by Black Sabbath [led by Ozzy Osbourne, her husband].”

He also told the outlet: “We believe we have an obligation to use our platform when we can to raise the issue of Palestine, and it was important for us to speak out at Coachella as the USA is the main funder and supplier of weapons to Israel as they commit genocide in Gaza.”

Kneecap has been continually outspoken in favour of Palestinians at gigs.

In November, DJ Provai arrived for the court verdict against the UK government in a vehicle bearing the Irish and Palestinian flags and blaring loud music.

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Kneecap’s Eden Project gig cancelled amid row over ‘kill MPs’ comments

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Kneecap apologise to families for 'kill your MP' remarks

A performance by Belfast rap trio Kneecap at the Eden Project has been cancelled.

It comes after a row in which one of the group appeared to call for Tory MPs to be killed and another appeared to shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” in historical footage of a gig.

A spokesperson for Eden Sessions, which organises the gigs at the Cornwall venue, said: “Eden Sessions Limited announced today that the Kneecap show at Eden Project scheduled for July 4, 2025 has been cancelled.

“Ticket purchasers will be contacted directly and will be fully refunded.

“The refund process will commence from Wednesday, April 30 2025. Refunds will be processed against the original payment cards used. Purchasers should allow six working days for funds to be received into their accounts.”

On Monday, the band apologised to the families of murdered MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox after footage emerged of one of its members appearing to say “kill your local MP”.

But Katie Amess, daughter of Sir David, dismissed their apology, accusing them of “deflection and excuses and gaslighting”.

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In a statement posted on Instagram, the group, comprising Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, said they “reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual.

“Kneecap’s message has always been – and remains – one of love, inclusion, and hope. This is why our music resonates across generations, countries, classes and cultures and has brought hundreds of thousands of people to our gigs. No smear campaign will change that,” they added.

The footage had been “exploited and weaponised,” they said.

Their statement didn’t impress Ms Amess, however, who on Tuesday accused them of “gaslighting”, saying their comments were “absurd” and “not an apology”.

“They don’t understand what they’re talking about, they obviously aren’t educated enough in what they’re speaking about to think that they can use those excuses and everybody will be like, ‘oh, never mind, let’s move on to something else’. They haven’t taken any accountability.

“These words that they are using are extremely dangerous and they have not acknowledged that.

‘Half-hearted’ apology

But the Prime Minister’s official spokesman called the band’s statement “half-hearted” and urged them to make a fuller apology.

He said Downing Street “completely reject in the strongest possible terms the comments that they’ve made, particularly in relation to MPs and intimidation as well as obviously the situation in the Middle East.

Undated handout photo issued by UK Parliament of Conservative MP Sir David Amess who has been stabbed several times at a surgery in his Southend West constituency, according to reports. Issue date: Friday October 15, 2021.
Image:
Sir David Amess. File pic: PA

Jo Cox shooting
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Jo Cox was murdered in 2016. Pic: PA

“It’s right that the police are looking into these videos.”

Mrs Badenoch said she thought they were apologising “because they realise that people don’t like the kind of things that they’ve been saying” and are “worried they’re going to lose their slot at Glastonbury“.

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Police assessing band’s videos

The Metropolitan Police are assessing footage from a November 2023 gig appearing to show one member of the group saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”, along with a video clip from a different concert in November 2024 in which a member of the band appeared to shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” – groups which are banned as terrorist organisations in the UK.

In Monday’s statement, Kneecap insisted they have “never supported” Hamas or Hezbollah.

Ministers also put pressure on the organisers of the Glastonbury Festival over the band’s inclusion in this year’s line-up.

In the Commons, security minister Dan Jarvis said ministers “would urge organisers of the Glastonbury Festival to think very carefully about who is invited to perform there later this year”.

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