Hundreds complain after BBC interrupts 'Mrs Brown’s Boys' for Mandela death announcement
More than 1,000 UK viewers have complained about the excessive coverage of Nelson Mandela’s death on BBC services, including some who grumbled about 'Mrs Brown’s Boys' being interrupted, it has emerged.
The BBC has defended the extent to which it featured the death of the former South African president, a major news item which led bulletins around the world.
By today the BBC had received 1,350 complaints about too much coverage across its news services, with some saying the emphasis had reduced the coverage of severe weather across the UK that day.
Programme chiefs broke into a repeat of BBC1 sitcom 'Mrs Brown’s Boys', starring Irish comedian Brendan O'Carroll, to break the news.
A BBC spokeswoman said today: “Nelson Mandela was a hugely significant world leader with an enormous political and cultural influence across the world. His death is of considerable interest to our audiences at home and across the globe.
“We know that people turn to the BBC for authoritative coverage of breaking news and we will continue to provide comprehensive coverage for a wide range of BBC News outlets, across TV, radio and online, as the world reacts to his passing, reflects on his legacy, and prepares for his funeral.
“After the initial announcement we have, of course, continued to cover other major stories as they have developed.”
