The BBC’s coverage of the Duke of Edinburgh’s death has received the highest number of complaints in television history, with most stating that it was excessive.
Ratings for BBC1 and BBC2 fell after they dedicated Friday evening’s programming to Prince Philip.
At least 110,994 people have complained, with 400 viewers expressing disappointment that the Duke of York had featured in tributes to his father, given his association with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his refusal to answer questions from the FBI, which was investigating the case.
A further 233 people complained about BBC presenters’ dress while presenting segments about the duke. Viewers complained that not all newsreaders were wearing black as a symbol of mourning. The journalist Peter Sissons faced similar criticism for wearing a burgundy tie while announcing the death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 2002.
Viewers expressed their disappointment that shows such as EastEnders and MasterChef had been replaced with tributes. One complaint recorded in an internal BBC log seen by The Guardian said: “Coverage of this event took up the entire evening broadcast to the exclusion of all other topics, including the ongoing topic of the pandemic. Some coverage was justified, but not to this extent.”
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Another said: “It was sad news Prince Phillip [sic] died on Friday and I understand the BBC had to acknowledge the fact but on every single one of its channels? Why [not] just put it on one channel for those that want to listen to that drivel and the rest of us can have a bit of music.”
The BBC broadcast a one-hour documentary on the duke on Friday, in which Dan Snow, the presenter, looked into the causes Prince Philip championed, his naval career and his approach to life.
Sir David Attenborough paid tribute to Prince Philip’s role in co-founding the World Wildlife Fund and his efforts to raise the profile of animal welfare and survival. In another programme broadcast over the weekend, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Duke of Wessex paid tribute to their father.
The number of complaints about coverage of Prince Philip’s death increased so rapidly on Friday that the BBC set up a dedicated form for complaints on the topic. It was taken down on Sunday.
The previous record for BBC complaints is thought to involve the broadcaster’s decision to show Jerry Springer: The Opera in 2005. There were 63,000 objections, including from Christian groups over its irreverent treatment of religious themes and extensive use of profanity.
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Among the hundreds of thousands of complaints about last weekend’s coverage were objections from 116 people who were concerned that the broadcaster was making it too easy for viewers to complain about its coverage.
The BBC is expected to make a formal announcement about the complaints on Thursday.
Prince Andrew stepped down from his royal duties in 2019 after facing scrutiny over his friendship with Epstein. In 2015 Virginia Roberts Giuffre alleged that she had been sexually trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell for their own use and for others, including Prince Andrew, who denied the allegations. Epstein agreed to a settlement with Giuffre out of court. She repeated claims that Epstein had trafficked her to Prince Andrew in a 2019 interview with Panorama on BBC1.