A modified version of Little Britain is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer after changes were made by the sketch show’s creators and stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams.
The comedy, which originally aired on BBC Three in 2003 before moving to BBC One in 2005, was removed from BBC iPlayer, BritBox and Netflix in 2020, with the BBC explaining that “times have changed”.
The show had faced criticism for including sketches featuring Walliams in blackface whilst playing health retreat guest Desiree Devere – however, the character no longer appears in the re-edited version of the show.
A BBC spokesman confirmed to RadioTimes.com: “Little Britain has been made available to fans on BBC iPlayer following edits made to the series by Matt and David that better reflect the changes in the cultural landscape over the last 20 years since the show was first made.”
Some of the episodes on BBC iPlayer now feature a warning which reads: “Contains discriminatory language.”
Little Britain was removed from various streamers in 2020 alongside Lucas and Walliams’ other sketch show Come Fly with Me, which featured highly controversial characters like passenger liaison officer Moses Beacon, airline mogul Omar Baba and Jamaican coffee kiosk manager Precious Little.
Lucas addressed the criticism in a tweet, writing in June 2020: “David and I have both spoken publicly in recent years of our regret that we played characters of other races. Once again we want to make it clear that it was wrong and we are very sorry.”
Lucas and Walliams are set to reunite for a new sketch as part of this year’s Red Nose Day coverage on Friday 18th March, bringing their Rock Profile show back for a special skit in aid of Comic Relief.
