The British sketch show, LIttle Britain is returning to BBC iPlayer after being removed two years ago over the blackface controversy back in June 2020. The sketch show is set to return to the streaming service with scenes deemed ‘offensive’ been cut.
The broadcaster is still very much aware of the controversial content the show still includes and have added warnings at the beginning
BBC iPlayer, Netflix and BritBox removed the comedy sketch programme from their platforms in response to public criticism prompted by the important Black Lives Matter movement.
Written by Matt Lucas and David Walliams in the early 00s, Little Britain was a highly popular show on the BBC.
Playing the character of spa guest Desiree DeVere, David Walliams would where black makeup throughout the series. Similarly, Lucas used blackface to play Pastor Jesse King.
Both Walliams and Lucas issued a public apology at the time stating: “want to make it clear that it was wrong, and we are very sorry.”
Back in 2017, Lucas said: “If I could go back and do Little Britain again, I wouldn’t make those jokes about transvestites. I wouldn’t play black characters. Basically, I wouldn’t make that show now. It would upset people. We made a more cruel kind of comedy than I’d do now.”
He added, there was no “bad intent there”, and they had simply been showing off about “what a diverse bunch of people we could play”.
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