Horrible Histories episode removed from BBC over guidelines

The BBC has removed an entire episode of Horrible Histories from iPlayer, while several other sketches have also been edited over concerns about content in children's programming.

The episode reportedly featured sketches about slavery, Victorian child labour and chimney sweeps, with at least seven scenes or sketches from the long-running CBBC series now unavailable on BBC iPlayer.

Horrible Histories, based on Terry Deary’s bestselling book series of the same name, originally aired on CBBC from 2009 and became known for turning some of history's darkest moments into comedy.

With a big-name cast including Mathew Baynon, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, Ben Willbond and Sarah Hadland, the show offered something for the whole family, with legendary one-liners often flying over the heads of children and amusing their parents.

Sketches involving Victorian children have been edited (BBC)

According to reports, however, one of the removed episodes used an airline-style parody to explain slavery in Ancient Rome, with enslaved rowers chained to their oars and told they would not be allowed to escape if the ship sank.

Another sketch explored Victorian child labour, including children being sent into dangerous chimneys. One young chimney sweep was reportedly told: "Try not to die."

A separate scene showed Madame Tussaud making wax death masks using the severed heads of victims of the French Revolution.

Other material has also been removed from iPlayer, including a sketch in which white actors used darker makeup while portraying ancient Egyptians or Incas.

Actor Mathew Baynton - who appeared throughout the series as iconic characters including Charles II, William Shakespeare and Guy Fawkes - previously acknowledged concerns about the show's depiction of Egyptians.

Baynton previously discussed his depiction of an Egyptian (BBC)

Speaking to The Telegraph in 2022, he said: "We didn’t do blackface, for example, but you could argue that we did."

The 45-year-old added that he had played Egyptians using what he described as a 'spray tan'.

"Because I played Egyptians, you know, for example, where you’d get a spray tan, essentially, and stand in your pants," Baynton continued.

The BBC has stressed that the edits were not made recently.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: "The edits to Horrible Histories were made seven years ago, in consultation with the programme makers, to ensure the series meets our editorial guidelines for children’s programmes."

The same representative did not publicly identify which specific guidelines prompted each cut, or explain why the episode was removed in its entirety.

Several episodes have been edited (Lia Toby/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)

The BBC’s editorial standards state that the corporation has a particular responsibility towards children and young people, including protecting their dignity and physical and emotional welfare. Its guidelines also say content that may be unsuitable for children should be scheduled appropriately.

The changes have renewed discussion around how older children’s programmes should be handled when they are made available on modern streaming platforms.

The cuts also come shortly after the BBC removed several sketches from That Mitchell And Webb Look, another older comedy programme, when it was added to iPlayer.

They also come after the broadcaster upheld complaints over a joke made by Katherine Ryan about Victoria Beckham on Have I Got News for You.

The joke, which compared Victoria to the C-word, was removed from the version now available on iPlayer after the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit found there was no editorial justification for the remark.