C-bomb loses TV sting

Ben Hurley.

Viewers of hit show ignore expletives and complain of Anna Guy jokes

A comedian who dropped the "C bomb" on hit TV3 show 7 Days has expressed his surprise that it wasn't edited out.

The pre-recorded Friday night show, which aired at 9.30pm, included the words "c**t" and "n***er" in its first seven minutes.

Last year TV3 was fined $3000 after complaints over the use of the C-word on Outrageous Fortune.

This time around viewers seemed unfazed, and more responded with concerns about comments made about Anna Guy's new radio career.

Yesterday, stand-up comedian and regular 7 Days panelist Ben Hurley said he was surprised the word was not edited out.

On his Twitter page, Hurley said: "Last night I said 'c*nt' on TV. Today I am seeing my Mum who probably saw it. I'll let you know how that goes."

Another post said: "I didn't think they'd put it in!"

The expletives came out during a panel discussion of Prime Minister John Key's justification for the use of the word "gay" because it was in the dictionary.

Hurley said: "It is a legitimate word, it is in the Oxford Dictionary - so is c**t."

Fellow panelist Josh Thompson carried on the joke, saying there were a lot of words in the dictionary you shouldn't use: "Oh, that is a homo of a meal darling" and "You've made a n***er of a sandwich."

TV3 yesterday said there were no complaints about the language although viewers vented anger about the show poking fun at Anna Guy, whose husband Ewen MacDonald was recently acquitted of her brother Scott Guy's murder.

"Really? Laughing about Anna Guy's situation? 7 Days is a bit of a letdown tonight," Clare Short posted on Twitter.

"Pretty much taking the piss out of Anna & Scott. Not cool. Dicks," said Bel Crawford.

Rachel Lorimer from TV3 said panelists pushed the boundaries every week but the show, which was filmed on Thursday evenings, was checked by a legal team before being aired on Friday nights.

"It is a satirical show and people don't expect it to be politically correct, and that is what appeals," Lorimer said.

Chief executive of the Broadcasting Standards Authority Susan Freeman-Greene said she could not comment on the language used in the show because she did not want to influence any complaints or future decisions.