The BBC’s extensive coverage of Prince Philip’s death was the corporation’s most-complained about television moment this year.
The Duke of Edinburgh died at Windsor Castle in April this year aged 99, with the news prompting the BBC to clear its schedules across BBC One and Two.
Coverage of the death played out on the BBC’s 24 hour rolling news channel, as well as many of their radio stations, which all ran a series of mirrored special programmes honouring Prince Philip’s life.
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However, the coverage wasn’t well-received: 104,010 people complained to the BBC about the revised schedule – with numbers rising to 109,741.
This makes Prince Philip’s death by far one of the most complained about moments in television history.
Responding to the complaints, the BBC said in a statement at the time: “The passing of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was a significant event which generated a lot of interest both nationally and internationally.
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“We acknowledge some viewers were unhappy with the level of coverage given and impact this had on the billed TV and radio schedules.
“We do not make such changes without careful consideration and the decisions made reflect the role the BBC plays as the national broadcaster during moments of national significance.
“We are grateful for all feedback and we always listen to the response from our audiences.”
Other complained about moments on the BBC include a moment on their morning news programme, Breakfast.
After an interview with Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty’s comments attracted over 6,498 complaints, as viewers felt the newsreaders had acted ‘unprofessionally’ for cracking jokes about the size of Jenrick’s Union Jack flag.
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Elsewhere, the BBC’s coverage of the Euro 2020: Denmark v Finland match attracted 6417 complaints after the network kept airing when footballer Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch, and was forced to seek emergency medical treatment.
Featured Image Credit: ShutterstockTopics: BBC, TV And Film