OFCOM REVEALS THE MOST COMPLAINED ABOUT TV SHOWS OF 2022
TV regulator Ofcom have revealed the top-ten most complained about TV programmes of the year.
Importantly, this number doesn’t include complaints about programmes on the BBC. These are handled by the BBC in the first instance.
Top 10 complained about programmes this year:
1 Love Island, ITV2, 17 July - complaints related to alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa.
2 I’m a Celebrity.... Get Me Out Of Here!, ITV, 6-27 November - viewers objected to the inclusion of Matt Hancock in the series.
3 Friday Night Live, Channel 4, 21 October - complaints related to a performance by Jordan Gray.
4 Love Island, ITV2, 19 July - complaints related to alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa.
5 Good Morning Britain, ITV, 15 February - complaints related to comments made by Richard Madeley about death threats made to Keir Starmer.
6 Jeremy Vine, Channel 5, 24 January - viewers complained about a health consultant’s inaccurate statement about numbers of unvaccinated people in hospital with Covid-19.
7 Love Island, ITV2, 18 July - complaints related to alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa.
8 I’m a Celebrity.... Get Me Out Of Here!, ITV, 13 November - viewers objected to bullying behaviour against Matt Hancock.
9 FIFA World Cup Final 2022: Argentina v France, ITV, 18 December - complaints related to politicised comments from Gary Neville.
10 Sky News, Sky News, 10 September - a Justice for Chris Kaba walk was reported as people on their way to pay tribute to the late Queen. Ofcom is investigating whether this breached our rules on due accuracy.
Complaints figures were captured during the period 1 January – 19 December 2022.
Adam Baxter, Director, Standards and Audience Protection: "People complain to us for a host of different reasons, and, for Ofcom, complaints are a vital barometer for how audiences think and feel...
"2022’s list of most complained about programmes is, once again, dominated by reality TV – in particular ITV’s Love Island and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Given the large viewing figures, and the headlines and conversations created by these shows – both online and offline – it is not surprising to see them topping our chart.
"People might think that because a programme has prompted a high number of complaints it must automatically mean our rules have been broken. But that’s not the case. We carefully assessed complaints about both of these programmes and found that neither warranted further investigation under our rules. So why didn’t these programmes prompt us to intervene?
"Let’s start with the episode of Love Island, which occupies the top spot as the most complained-about programme of the year. Complaints related to alleged misogynistic and bullying behaviour by some contestants in the villa, and we carefully assessed each and every one of these complaints...
"We ultimately concluded that the programme did not warrant formal investigation because of how this behaviour was put into context on the programme.
"The second biggest issue driving complaints this year was viewers objecting to Matt Hancock’s participation in I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!. And interestingly, an almost identical number of complainants objected to what they saw as negative treatment of him on the show.
"But under our rules, and taking into account freedom of expression, there is no ban on any particular person taking part in programmes. However, if the inclusion of someone in a programme is likely to cause offence, we expect broadcasters to take steps to mitigate or justify that offence. How they do that editorially, is up to them."