Ofcom considering Red Nose Day investigation after receiving over 150 complaints

Ofcom is considering investigating the BBC’s Red Nose Day broadcast after receiving over 150 complaints regarding the show.

The Comic Relief charity telethon featured several hours of comedy sketches and special films, and aired from 7pm – two hours before the watershed.

While the show managed to raise over £73 million for charity causes abroad and in the UK, the content of the live event drew criticism from some viewers.

One segment which reportedly drew particular complaints was a live sketch by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer which featured an interview with Susanna Reid.

During the sketch, Reeves appeared to flash a prosthetic penis and ask Reid if she had “seen Kong”.

The comedy skit aired before the 9pm watershed, alongside Scott Mills’ game Innuendo Bingo, which featured plenty of unintended x-rated double entendres.

Ofcom said: "We have received 151 complaints about Comic Relief 2017 on the BBC. We will assess these complaints before deciding whether or not to investigate."

A spokesperson for the BBC told the Evening Standard: "The Red Nose Day 2017 broadcast was a live studio environment enjoyed by a peak audience of 7.6 million which raised over £73m.

"This will go a huge way to help improve the lives of many people both here in the UK and in some of the world’s poorest countries."

The comedy show suffered from major sound problems on the night, with viewers complaining of “awful” audio.

Red Nose Day also saw the return of Richard Curtis’ rom-com Love Actually, with a mini-sequel that filled fans in on what the film characters were up to 13 years later.