The Royle Family is latest BBC show slapped with ‘woke’ discriminatory language warning

The Royle Family is the latest BBC show to be given a warning for discriminatory language due to Jim Royle’s ‘nancy boy’ slur. 

The third episode of the second series, which first aired on 7 Oct 1999, sees Ricky Tomlinson’s disagreeable character watching an episode of Changing Rooms, during which he calls Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen a ‘nancy boy’. 

Following similar warnings on shows including Fawlty Towers and Dad’s Army, the particular episode, which already had an ‘adult humour’ warning, also carries the tag: ‘Contains discriminatory language which some viewers may find offensive.’

Oh dear! The Royle Family is the latest BBC show to be given a warning for discriminatory language due to Jim Royle’s ‘nancy boy’ slur (clockwise from bottom) Jim (RICKY TOMLINSON), Barbara (SUE JOHNSTON), Anthony (RALPH LITTLE), Denise (CAROLINE AHERNE), Dave (CRAIG CASH) and Nana (LIZ SMITH)

The Royle Family, which first aired in 1998 before ending in 2000 and featuring Christmas special episodes were aired from 2006 until 2012.

While the show is much-loved, the warning has now been added to that particular episode – in the latest warnings which have been deemed too ‘woke’.  

Earlier this month, the channel slapped a ‘discriminatory language’ warning on the 1971 Dad’s Army film, which was met with outrage.

The BBC aired the film with the warning that some viewers may find it ‘offensive’ prompting outraged fans to call for the corporation to ‘stop making issues when there aren’t any’. 

Way back when: The third episode of the second series, which first aired on 7 Oct 1999, sees Ricky Tomlinson’s disagreeable character watching an episode of Changing Rooms, during which he calls Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (pictured in 1999) a 'nancy boy'

Way back when: The third episode of the second series, which first aired on 7 Oct 1999, sees Ricky Tomlinson’s disagreeable character watching an episode of Changing Rooms, during which he calls Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (pictured in 1999) a ‘nancy boy’ 

The broadcaster said the warning has, ‘has nothing to do with the general content of #DadsArmy, which is a British TV classic,’ but said the film, ‘includes a specific racially derogatory phrase.’

The warning refers to the archaic term ‘fuzzy-wuzzies’, used by British soldiers to describe people from the Sudan.

In the film, Clive Dunn’s character Lance Corporal Jones Jones’s uses the term ‘fuzzy-wuzzies’, to describe enemies he fought in the Sudan under General Kitchener. 

Changes: The show had the tagline added to the 1999 episode

Changes: The show had the tagline added to the 1999 episode

The BBC issued a warning before it aired as parts of the classic ‘could cause offense’.

Viewers who went to watch the film on the BBC’s iPlayer had a message pop up reading: ‘Contains discriminatory language which some may find offensive.’

Furious fans took to Twitter to vent their frustration, with one outraged user of the microblogging site writing: ‘A “discriminatory language” warning into the original Dad’s Army film on BBC2? What has the world come to?’

Warned: Following similar warnings on shows including Fawlty Towers and Dad's Army, the particular episode, which already had a language warning, also carries the tag: 'Contains discriminatory language which some viewers may find offensive'

Warned: Following similar warnings on shows including Fawlty Towers and Dad’s Army, the particular episode, which already had a language warning, also carries the tag: ‘Contains discriminatory language which some viewers may find offensive’

The BBC has placed warnings on a string of classic programmes from yesteryear in the wake of the Black Lives Matters movement – including High Hopes, The League Of Gentlemen and The Mighty Boosh.

Last year, the BBC was accused of ‘taking political correctness too far’ by removing shows like Little Britain and Fawlty Towers from iPlayer over fears of offence.

Media minister John Whittingdale said that while some programmes from the 60s are ‘wholly unacceptable’, ditching comedy classics that were ‘still widely enjoyed’ was the wrong decision.

The BBC has slapped a 'discriminatory language' warning on the 1971 Dad's Army film (pictured)

The BBC has slapped a ‘discriminatory language’ warning on the 1971 Dad’s Army film (pictured)

In 2019, Royle Family star Sue Johnston was left so upset by the death of her co-star Caroline Aherne she has since struggled to watch any of the Christmas specials.

Sue, who played Barbara Royle in the much-loved sitcom, discussed the death of her on-screen daughter during an appearance on This Morning on Thursday.

Caroline died aged 52 in 2016 after a battle with lung cancer, and Sue, 76, said watching the comedy show has since been ‘very hard’.