Too much sex and swearing on TV, says David Jason – Daily TV round-up

David Jason has hit out at the amount of swearing, violence and sex on the TV.

The 71-year-old 'Only Fools and Horses' star says that he's often shocked by the images shown, and that he has to 'protect' his 10-year-old daughter from what's broadcast pre-watershed.

“Take the adverts - I was watching SpongeBob, a favourite cartoon of ours, but suddenly a scent advert came on with this girl stripping off as she walks towards the camera,” he said. “It's done for mums but they forget a lot of girls are watching these powerful images.

[See also: Jeremy Clarkson's most outrageous gaffes]

“There wasn't much on telly the other night so with Sophie and her friend we watched 'Laurel and Hardy', made in the 1930s, and these kids laughed like drains.

“That's humour - doing what funny people have done since comedy began without being edgy and pushing boundaries.

David Jason, who is best known for his role as Del Boy, also criticised the amount of swearing on TV: “Today they push down barriers. Take the 'f' word. It's become commonplace. Language has implications and it's offensive if it's meant to denigrate something or someone. 'Only Fools' had nothing unpleasant, really.”

Jason is set to appear on BBC1 over Christmas starring in 'The Royal Bodyguard', a role he says attracted him because it was 'safe' for family viewing. [Radio Times]

[See also: Christmas TV Highlights]

Also in todays press

'Strictly' star Robbie Fowler has spoken of his anger over abuse on Twitter after fans of the show suggested he was using the recent death of his friend Gary Speed to get sympathy. “It was hard as you have to concentrate on dancing,” he said. “But comments on Twitter like 'Robbie's only doing it for sympathy' were ridiculous, shocking.” [The Sun]

Jeremy Clarkson's recent rants, including one in his column in The Times about suicide victims over the weekend, have reportedly raised concerns over his mental state. A source from the BBC told The Mirror that 'there is a feeling he’s more vulnerable than he should be and that’s why his judgment isn’t A-grade'. [The Mirror]

Romance between TOWIE's Mark Wright and model Emily Scott is off the cards, according to the Essex club promoter. “Emily is a lovely person and a very pretty girl but there is no romantic interest there for me and I am not interested in starting a relationship with her,” he said. The pair flirted while in the jungle on 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' [The Sun]