Recent articles
Basil Brush is being investigated after a complaint was made about an alleged racist joke in the puppet's BBC series.
A complaint was received by the police following a recent screening of an old episode that features the fox telling jokes about gypsies, reports Metro.
The episode, which was originally shown six years ago, features a sketch where a gypsy woman tries to sell Basil some wooden pegs.
A police spokesperson said: "We can confirm we have received a complaint about a TV show featuring Basil Brush from a member of the public in February. The complaint was logged as an incident of a racist nature."
Joseph Jones, a spokesperson for the Romany, Gipsy and Irish Traveller Network, said: "Racist abuse of black people is quite rightly no longer deemed acceptable, but when a comedian makes a joke on TV about pikeys or gypos, there's no comeback."
Did you see the offending episode? Do you think Basil should be banished from our screens?
Comment on this article
Please sign in to add your comments.
User comments
get in there basil
Posted by: jandh.calland on Thu Mar 27 01:29PM | Report abuseThe question is was he factually incorrect in what 'he' said? I think we all know the answer to that one. Where's me milk gone?
Posted by: only_madmen_laugh on Thu Mar 27 01:40PM | Report abuse@#$%ming - A pikey is a bit like a carpy, a breamy or a coddy only with sharper teeth!
Posted by: only_madmen_laugh on Thu Mar 27 01:43PM | Report abuseI have watched this show a number of times previously with my child, and often felt that comments were offensive and judgemental. I would be happy to see Basil off the screen as it has nothimg to offer to its young viewers but negative ideas about targeted groups of people
Posted by: litovski_aleksandra on Thu Mar 27 01:59PM | Report abusegive it up and keep the furry little fellow!
Posted by: hewittclonroot on Thu Mar 27 02:01PM | Report abuseWhile I'm not sure that depicting a gypsy selling pegs is necessarily racism & this investigation may be a little OTT, it is a completely valid point that travelling people do not benefit from the protection of anti-racism laws & if this investigation helps to raise awareness of this then so be it
Posted by: sarahjwj on Thu Mar 27 02:11PM | Report abusea new brush sweeps clean, so get good old basil to sweep the htporcrites out of the u.k.
Posted by: dhst6 on Thu Mar 27 02:13PM | Report abuseg
Posted by: pkidderdrange on Thu Mar 27 02:17PM | Report abuseFor racism to exist there has to be a race involved. Could someone please tell me what race an Irish Travelling Romany Gipsy belongs to? Who issues their passports - or dont they need one? Would Mr Jones deny that ITRGs sell pegs and heather and offer to tell fortunes door to door? Or that they offer all manner of other 'services' like, laying tarmac drives that the weeds come through,cutting hedges unevenly,cutting grass and dumping the clippings,replacement guttering that leaks,fixing roofs that arn't broken,collecting clothes for the 'third world' which are in fact sold on. Well Mr Jones, what have you to say to that lot? We all know that the Basil Brush thing is just a come on for you to get some 'compo' for injured feelings but what about OUR injured feelings.?
Posted by: pkidderdrange on Thu Mar 27 02:35PM | Report abusewho ever made the complaint should get a life dont be petty
Posted by: lutherlansanna on Thu Mar 27 02:44PM | Report abuse