Complaint
A viewer complained that the commentator Brian Moore’s reference to bulimia when one the players vomited on the pitch was offensive, in making light of a serious disorder. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards in relation to harm and offence, particularly the principle that material which may offend audiences should have a clear editorial purpose.
Outcome
The ECU agreed that the reference, though humorously intended, had the potential to offend, and saw no editorial purpose which would have justified it. However, Mr Moore apologised for the comment on Twitter on the day after the match, and BBC Sport posted a response on the BBC Complaints page which said “We have spoken to Brian Moore and he fully accepts he should not have made this comment about Cian Healy”. In the ECU’s judgement this was sufficient to resolve the issue of complaint.
Resolved