Yahoo News Richard Osman reveals 'Pointless' swaps offensive answers for acceptable ones
Pointless host Richard Osman has revealed that the BBC show edits out answers that people might consider to be offensive.
Channel 4's Countdown had to apologise this week after a contestant came up with the word “p****er” from the letters A, O, O, E, D, R, P, F, T.
When a Twitter user questioned why the slur was allowed to be said, Osman chimed in to explain what happens on his quiz show.
The TV star explained that offensive words are edited out and the contestant is given a more acceptable alternative to use in a retake.
“Yes, I think, the contestant was embarrassed to be saying it, but in that situation the easy solution is to all agree he scored 7 points and to retake with a different answer,” he said. “We've done that a couple of times with 'correct' answers.”
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Yes, I think, the contestant was embarrassed to be saying it, but in that situation the easy solution is to all agree he scored 7 points and to retake with a different answer. We've done that a couple of times with 'correct' answers.
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) August 16, 2021
He added it was "a very easy fix, and not an uncommon one".
One person asked if that meant the contestant would be given a correct answer for the retake.
Osman – who hosts the programme alongside Alexander Armstrong - replied: “Yep, just retake with a different correct answer (or different incorrect answer).”
“I think it's only come up twice, and both times for incorrect answers,” he added.
Yep, just retake with a different correct answer (or different incorrect answer).
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) August 16, 2021
One fan said they felt a “little sad” that Pointless would edit answers.
But Osman explained: “If I’d told you why, you would agree 100 per cent, I’m certain of that. And it’s been twice in around 50,000 answers.”
“And the contestants concerned definitely appreciated the edit,” he added.
If I'd told you why you would agree 100%, I'm certain of that. And it's been twice in around 50,000 answers
— Richard Osman (@richardosman) August 16, 2021
Countdown apologised earlier this week after contestant Matthew Gould read aloud the slur as a possible answer during the letters round and was awarded seven points.
A spokesperson for the show told Yahoo UK: "The airing of the word was an error of judgement. It does not align with our values and we apologise for any offence caused."
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Gould wrote on Twitter: "I apologise for my part in this. I thought it might be edited differently.
"At the time I said ‘I have an inappropriate seven that I know is in the dictionary or a riskier seven that I’m less sure about’. I thought that bit would be reshot with a non-offensive 7 letter word."
Watch: Richard Osman doesn't think Alexander Armstrong would leave Pointless if he left
