http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3569380/Anger-as-Gordon-Ramsays-swearing-on-US-shows-unbleeped--for-British-TV.htmlAnger as Gordon Ramsay's swearing on US shows 'unbleeped' for British TV
The level of swearing on British television has sparked a national debate – and Gordon Ramsay, the celebrity chef, is known as a prime offender.
Now it can be revealed that expletives were inserted into Ramsay's show when it was broadcast in the UK, after they had been "bleeped out" in the original version first shown in the US.
Campaigners said the decision to edit swear words back into Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA for British viewers was "extraordinary".
In one episode of the series, more than 40 swear words were heard by viewers when the programme aired on Channel 4 earlier this year, compared to none when it was broadcast by Fox in the US last year.
Critics said the difference showed that television channels in Britain can "do what they like".
The US series of Kitchen Nightmares was a spin-off from the British series of the same name, in which Ramsay attempts to turn around the fortunes of failing restaurants.
A joint production by Granada America and London-based firm Optomen, it shows the chef visiting eateries in the United States.
Instances of the f-word, along with profanities such as s---, d---head and b-----ks, were bleeped out of the hour-long shows when they were shown in the US in a 9pm slot in autumn 2007. When the series was broadcast in the UK this year, in a 10pm slot, the swear words returned.
In one episode, first shown by Fox on 7 November 2007, there were 40 bleeps as Ramsay visited a failing pizzeria called Sebastian's near Burbank, Los Angeles. When the same episode was shown in Britain, it contained 30 f-words, seven s---s, other expletives – and only two bleeps.
John Meyer, director of the campaign group Mediawatch UK, said: "It is extraordinary, and only goes to show how much the television channels here can do what they like.
"They keep defending the amount of swearing on television, but all their concerns about 'freedom of expression' and 'the need to reflect reality' seem to go out of the window when it comes to making money by exporting these programmes to America, where they know audiences won't tolerate it."
Channel 4 said its version was shown after Britain's 9pm watershed and was preceded by a "clear on-air warning" about its content. The US equivalent of the watershed is the 10pm "safe harbor", after which more swearing is permitted.
A Channel 4 spokesman said: "Gordon Ramsay is a well-known TV personality and viewers watching his programmes know what to expect. In the context of Kitchen Nightmares the strong language is a genuine expression of Gordon's passion and frustration."
A Channel 4 insider said: "The difference reflects social attitudes in America, which are not the same as in Britain. It would be wrong of us to adopt the attitudes of another country when considering these matters. The amount of violence on American television is generally higher than here, and no-one is suggesting we would emulate that."
Earlier this month, an ICM opinion poll conducted for The Sunday Telegraph found that the majority of the British public – 56 per cent – felt the f-word should never be broadcast.
