Channel 4 issue statement over contestants offensive gay slur on Countdown

Channel 4’s Countdown has issued an apology after using a gay slur on a recent instalment of the show.

On Tuesday’s show one contestant gave the word p****er as an answer on the show.

Clearly uncomfortable the contestant said: “I’ve got a rude word, that I know is in the dictionary, p****er.”

TV critic and journalist Scott Bryan shared his distaste in the way it was broadcast so casually.

He said: “As someone who was called a “p*****r” by homophobes on a daily basis why on earth is Countdown allowing it to be said cheerfully as an answer on daytime television? Yes, I know it is in the dictionary.

“But having been at the receiving end of that word as abuse for years (along with f*****), then hearing it casually as an answer on a quiz show.”

He added: “The amount of people saying 'it is only a word,' I’m pretty sure it was only a word back in the classrooms back then too. Yet it feels the same.”

Sorry to go serious on something quite trivial - but as someone who was called a "p***fter" by homophobes on a daily basis why on earth is Countdown allowing it to be said cheerfully as an answer on daytime television? pic.twitter.com/5jCf0wY8oM

â€" Scott Bryan (@scottygb) August 16, 2021

Pointless host Richard Osman also gave his opinion expressing his shock at the way it was handled and offered a “very easy fix”.

“The contestant was embarrassed to be saying it, but in that situation the easy solution is to all agree he scored seven points and to retake with a different answer,” he said.

"We’ve done that a couple of times with ‘correct’ answers.”

He added: “A very easy fix, and not an uncommon one.”

Channel 4 released a statement apologising for the incident and said it was down to an “error in judgement”.

It said:  â€œThe airing of the word was an error of judgement. It does not align with our values and we apologise for any offence caused.”

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