Writers forced to remove joke about sicko Jimmy Savile from racy BBC drama Industry
BONKING-and-banking drama, Industry, returns to BBC One next week – and as usual it’s packed with all sorts of sauciness.
But it’s what the racy writers Konrad Kay and Mickey Down had to leave out that’s most shocking.
I can reveal the original version included a joke about Jimmy Savile which has since been cut, along with part of a scene featuring the ultimate British TV taboo – an erect penis.
A TV insider said: “Although Industry is now in its third series and viewers will know what to expect from the show, this still would have been a bridge too far for the Beeb.
“After all, Savile still haunts the corporation in many ways, so including any kind of humorous reference to him would have been deeply frowned upon.
“As for the erect manhood, that did feature in the US version of Industry, which aired on the other side of the Atlantic first, but rules still prohibit that from happening over here – even though this drama will air after the watershed.
“The regulations say that a bloke standing to attention can’t feature in any kind of sexual context – and the Industry scene in question is very sexual indeed.”
For decades it has always been believed that broadcasters had to stick to the unofficial “Mull of Kintyre” rule when it came to televising todgers.
It said that a manhood should never be shown in a more erect state than the outline of the Scottish peninsula.
In fact, it was an urban myth, because it’s Ofcom who’ve ruled on this, stating they won’t allow: “Images and/or language of a strong sexual nature which is broadcast for the primary purpose of sexual arousal or stimulation.”
But there’s still plenty of edgy stuff in the new series, which airs on October 1, with the returning cast including Marisa Abela, Myha’la, Harry Lawtey and Ken Leung.
Also stirring things up is the arrival of a newcomer at Pierpont & Co, finance graduate Sweetpea Golightly, played by Miriam Petche.
The brilliant Sagar Radia as wideboy Rishi has a particularly sensational storyline, meanwhile guest star Kit Harington plays a hedonistic tycoon called Henry Muck.
It turns out the character rather likes watersports … and we’re not talking synchronised swimming.
Mo time for League
SITTING on the panel of A League Of Their Own clearly wasn’t as comfy for Mo Gilligan as his Celebrity Gogglebox sofa.
I can reveal the funnyman has quit the Sky Max series.
He was brought in as a regular guest on captain Jamie Redknapp’s team – but while the former Liverpool ace has appeared on every series since it began in 2010, Mo only managed one year.
He appeared alongside show regulars Micah Richards, Jill Scott, Jamie and host Romesh Ranganathan.
A TV insider said: “Mo loved being on the show – but due to touring the UK, Europe and the US with his stand-up show, he wasn’t able to do it.
“There’s no bad blood and he hopes to return.”
I’m told revolving comedians will fill his slot on when the sports comedy panel series returns later this year.
Brassic co-stars go wild
HE’S no stranger to a night on the town as Tommo.
But that doesn’t mean that Brassic’s Ryan Sampson can handle a heavy drinking session when he’s off set.
On a night off while filming the sixth series of the comedy, which begins on Sky Max this Thursday, he watched his co-star Bronagh Gallagher perform her music at a gig.
He said: “It was raucous.
“She was in this amazing sequinned bodysuit doing all these mad speeches on stage, and then we all went out afterwards and had a really wild night.
“We were feeling it for about two weeks. It was intense – it was a lot.
“You know you’re getting old when you have a two-week hangover.”
Great British Tate off
SHE has had her own comedy sketch series, starred in Doctor Who and even The US Office, but now Catherine Tate could be making a TV comeback as an unlikely cooking show host.
The funnywoman says she has been offered the chance to front her own foodie series on the basis she is useless in the kitchen.
Catherine, who was last on our screens in a Doctor Who special last year, said on The Office Ladies podcast: “I don’t know how to cook, which baffles me because I’ve just been offered a cooking show.
“Someone heard me on the radio talking about how much I hate to cook and thought, we should actually put this on TV.
“I’m a huge advocate for breakfast cereals, three times a day. That’s what I cook.”
Like her stroppy schoolgirl character Lauren Cooper, she basically can’t be bovvered.
Flash back
GMB host Richard Madeley discusses wife Judy FInnigan’s flashing incident at the 2000 National Television Awards in a Channel 5 documentary celebrating his career.
Son Jack said: “I just remember turning in slow motion towards the telly, and there is mum with her bra out.”
Alex: Are you Vet? No, Pett
THE One Show’s Alex Jones finds it so hard to keep up with all the A-listers she interviews that she mistook film star Alex Pettyfer in her local farm shop for a vet.
Alex told Virgin Radio: “The One Show, it ticks over. They all come – Nicole Kidman, Channing Tatum, Will Ferrell.
“I was in a farm shop the other day. This actor walks in with his daughter, and he comes over and says ‘Can I stroke the dog?’.
“I didn’t recognise him. He was telling me about labradors.
“I said, ‘Gosh, are you a vet?’ and he went, ‘No ’.
“Turns out he was in the Magic Mike movie and I’ve interviewed him twice on The One Show – it was Alex Pettyfer.”