The BBC cut out some lines from the family-friendly Christmas film Nativity! over fears of insulting some people. The broadcaster has since uploaded the full version of the film after the Daily Star reported on the censorship.
BBC recently uploaded the 2009 hit Christmas Film Nativity! on iPlayer. But it did not upload the original version; they cut out some lines over concerns of offending, according to the Daily Star.
One of the sections that were cut included a joke by theater reviewer Patrick Burns, played by comedian Alan Carr.
He says: “You’re no-one if you haven’t had a bad review of Patrick Burns. That’s why they call them Burns’ victims.”
A joke by Mr. Poppy, played by Marc Wooton, was also removed. He jokes about one of his pupils, saying: “He’s a good dancer. Plus, he’s eye candy for the girls.
“Have you seen the looks he gets in the playground? He doesn’t walk around the playground, he struts.”
The film was censored despite having a U rating, meaning it had already been deemed appropriate for audiences aged four years and above. When it was released in 2009, film magazine Empire described it as a “sunny, sweet and family-friendly seasonal fare.”
After the Daily Star reported on the censorship, the unedited version of the film was uploaded.
“Nativity! has been on BBC channels several times in recent weeks,” a spokesperson for the BBC said. “BBC iPlayer has now been updated to the version that was broadcast on BBC One on November 28.”
