Tuesday, February 11, 2003

Jamie Oliver lands himself in hot water

The Daily Mail

Jamie Oliver has received a roasting from TV watchdogs after an outburst on his Channel 4 show. Oliver landed himself in hot water for an episode of Jamie's Kitchen, in which he worked to turn 15 jobless youngsters into top-class chefs. During one encounter, an exasperated Oliver blurted out "Jesus f Christ" - and five viewers complained about his language. Today the Independent Television Commission ruled that the programme had breached TV guidelines. "The ITC took the view that this particular expression is deeply offensive to Christians and requires a high degree of justification, which it did not feel was present on this occasion," their report stated. "The ITC also noted that the programme began immediately after the watershed." Channel 4 said it had been imperative to show a "frank and candid portrait of Jamie Oliver" and to let viewers see "the reality and pressures of the challenge facing him". A warning had been given at the start of the programme, a spokesman added.

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