ITVX has added content warnings to beloved comedian Victoria Wood’s classic performance of “Let’s Do It,” cautioning viewers about “mild sexual humour” in the 1988 show.
The streaming service has placed alerts on Wood’s “An Audience With” special, which features her famous comedy song “The Ballad of Barry and Freda”.
The ditty, first performed on her BBC sketch show in 1986, follows the tale of a frustrated wife pleading with her disinterested husband.
Despite containing no explicit language, the performance has been flagged for “modern audiences” who might find its playful content potentially offensive.
Victoria Wood’s classic ‘Let’s Do It’ routine has been slapped with a content warning for ‘mild sexual humour’
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The song’s lyrics include playful lines such as “bend me over backwards on the hostess trolley” and “beat me on the bottom with a Woman’s Weekly”.
Wood’s routine also features light-hearted anecdotes, including a story about a British Rail InterCity journey where she observed a couple being intimate.
“Nobody said anything,” Wood recounts in the show. “When they finished, they both lit up a cigarette and this woman said: ‘Excuse me, I think you’ll find this is a non-smoking compartment.'”
The beloved comedienne, who passed away in 2016 aged 62, delivered the gags with her characteristic warmth and inoffensive style throughout the hour-long performance.
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Sir Ken Dodd’s performances have also received warnings from ITVX
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But it’s not just Wood – Sir Ken Dodd’s performances have also received warnings from ITVX, with viewers alerted to “humour, language and attitudes of the time”.
The legendary comedian’s jokes, including “Do I believe in safe sex? I’ve a handrail round the bed,” now come with cautionary notices.
While Carry On star Kenneth Williams’ shows have been similarly flagged for containing “outdated references and innuendo some may find offensive”.
The warnings extend to his quips about Harrow and references to Germans “Krauting” in bathrooms.
Dodd, who died aged 90 in 2018, and Williams, who passed away at 62 in 1988, were both known for their distinctive comedic styles which often featured playful innuendo.
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Dame Maureen Lipman laid into ITVX’s warnings, saying: “We’re going through a humourless phase after Wokeism and #MeToo.”
Though Steve Bennett, editor of comedy website Chortle, said: “These are fairly innocuous warnings if it means that these brilliant shows can be made available to watch without any censorious cuts.”
Bennett added that while content naturally reflects its era, he hoped “the Victoria Wood show comes with a health and safety warning about the dangers of being beaten on the bottom with a Woman’s Weekly”.
ITVX said: “Programming that contains potentially sensitive or distressing themes, content or language has carried appropriate guidance since our launch. We regularly review our catalogue to ensure the right guidance is in place for viewers.”
