Elton John has pissed off viewers of Paul O'Grady's new Channel 4 show by swearing on live TV. As my venerable colleague has just pointed out to me, there was a time when Channel 4 viewers complained if there wasn't any swearing. How times have changed. And are bound to, really, if you import your audience from ITV.
Anyway, it's all a bit of a palaver about nothing, if you ask me. It was only teatime, fair enough, but it's not as though he said cunt or fuck. Basically, speaking about the reasons for changing his name from Reginald Dwight to Elton John, he said "It's not much of a showbiz name is it? Sounds more like a banker - some would say wanker."
Around 20 viewers complained immediately, so much so that O'Grady apologised at the end of the programme, saying "sorry if it has been a bit raucous, ladies and gentlemen".