Good Morning Britain, Love Island, Emmerdale: TV shows with most Ofcom complaints revealed

The UK TV show with the most Ofcom complaints is Good Morning Britain, with 19,832 complaints in total. GMB thrives on its controversy as part of its format, but this also invites a large amount of criticism and regulatory complaints. A segment aired in April involved a heated debate on immigration policy, which received 8,000 complaints alone. From outspoken presenters to on-air debates, the show attracts significant popularity but a lot of mixed opinions.

Love Island received the second-highest number of complaints, 2,903 in total. Love Island has received many complaints due to its content which often pushes boundaries in terms of emotional, social, and ethical issues. Notable drama from this year’s series included the introduction of TV Personality Joey Essex, whose involvement stirred controversy and reshaped alliances that didn’t go down well with viewers. Although the show is wildly popular, it has been pulled up on cases of toxic behaviour, unrealistic beauty standards and a lack of safeguarding.

In third place is Emmerdale, which received 1,471 Ofcom complaints. The long-running British soap opera often attracts complaints due to its shocking storylines and sensitive topics. Belle Dingle’s abusive marriage to Tom King has been a prominent storyline in 2024, which highlights gaslighting and control in a relationship, sensitive to some viewers. While the producers aim to address societal issues and entertain, the line between thought-provoking drama and distressing content can be fine, leading to viewer backlash.

Big Brother places fourth, with 1,437 complaints this year. The show thrives on pushing boundaries and exploring human behaviour in confined, high-stress conditions in the ultimate social experiment. While it creates high ratings, this year’s Big Brother has received complaints due to controversial comments and actions made by the housemates. This includes contentious symbolism in which a T-shirt worn by a housemate was considered politically provocative and led to the episode being edited and re-aired due to the backlash.

In fifth place is This Morning, which received 1,264 complaints. This Morning is one of the most popular morning TV shows, but it is not without its mixed opinions. The show has faced criticism over controversial guests, including adult content creator Bonnie Blue. Her appearance, during which she made provocative comments about her profession, led to significant viewer backlash and prompted multiple complaints to Ofcom.

MAFS UK is the sixth most complained about TV Show, raking in 1,170 complaints this year. The primary cause of complaints on this year’s series was due to allegations of bullying and aggressive behaviour amongst the cast. A key event which led to 230 complaints alone was Holly Ditchfield’s treatment towards Hannah Nonburn in several heated arguments. Viewers sympathised with Hannah due to the hostile language used towards her, causing visible distress throughout the series.

Sunak v Starmer: The ITV1 Debate is in seventh, with 686 Ofcom complaints. The show’s political content included many heated personal exchanges between the two politicians in a bid for who deserves the keys to Number 10. The June debate touched on highly sensitive topics such as healthcare, taxes, immigration, and national security. The two also clashed views on the European Convention on Human Rights which attracted many mixed opinions from the public.

In eighth is People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, with 535 complaints. The programme that aired in February, featured then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak answering questions from an audience of undecided voters. Critics argued that Sunak’s responses were not properly answered or meaningful and that the show lacked a proper political perspective. Farage takes ninth place, with 472 complaints. Reform leader Nigel Farage received many Ofcom complaints due to his biased content and inflammatory statements. His strong opinions on immigration and British values were heavily criticised by viewers and has received accusations of Islamophobia.

In tenth place is Talk Today with Jeremy Kyle and Rosie Wright, raking in 392 Ofcom complaints this year. Jeremy Kyle’s history of controversial broadcasting was always likely to play a role in viewer sensitivity due to his provocative approach to hosting. A key incident involved an interview with Julia Hartley-Brewer, whose remarks during an interview with Dr Mustafa Barghouti were perceived as offensive due to their political nature.

Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator PRO S.L, commented on the findings: “Complaints made to Ofcom are typically submitted by viewers who expect the media to uphold ethical standards while balancing entertainment with sensitivity to avoid causing offense to more vulnerable audiences.

“Although opinions on what constitutes offensive content can vary, issues such as inappropriate language, biased or unfair reporting, and harmful stereotypes are common reasons why Ofcom receives complaints.

“The year 2024 has been politically significant due to the general election, making it unsurprising that political programmes have attracted a considerable volume of complaints, placing them among the top ten most complained-about shows. A nation divided along political lines naturally leads to strong opinions, which, combined with public perception of the tone of remarks, contribute to the high number of grievances. Ofcom has influenced change in several programmes to ensure they are more suitable for sensitive audiences. This can include a range of actions, from fines and sanctions to changes in content or public apologies in response to the offences that the shows have caused.”

This research was provided by QR Code Generator, https://qrfy.com/