Moment from King Charles' coronation that received 8000 Ofcom complaints
The watchdog investigated the commentKing Charles’ coronation was a day of celebration for not only Britain but around the world – however, thousands of viewers felt otherwise and submitted complaints to Ofcom over the event.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey on Mary 6, 2023. It was the first coronation to take place following the late Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953. The former monarch passed away in September 2022, and her son Charles ascended to the throne.
It was also the most expensive coronation for the past 300 years.
The momentous occasion was overshadowed by thousands of fans submitting complaints to Ofcom – the independent regulator of TV, radio and other communication services in Britain. Most had an issue with a comment someone made during the live coverage after watching the royal family wave from the famous Buckingham Palace balcony.
King Charles’ coronation Ofcom complaints over balcony moment
Furious viewers of King Charles’ coronation flooded Ofcom with 8,371 complaints concerning comments from Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh.
Adjoa, who was sitting alongside Mylenne Klass, reflected on royal family members assembling on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.
“We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony,” she told hosts Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham on coronation day itself.
Adjoa continued: “I am very struck by that. I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking: ‘What are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?’.”
The comments sparked a huge backlash with social media users. Adjoa, who has also appeared in Doctor Who and Line of Duty, later apologised.
She said the following day: “I think I upset a few people yesterday. I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was. And then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going: ‘Oh it’s so white!’. The day had been so mixed and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”
Ofcom assessed the concerns
A month later, Ofcom responded to the thousands of complaints it received – concluding that the comment made during King Charles’ coronation didn’t need further action.
They wrote: “We received 8,371 complaints from viewers about a comment made by actress Adjoa Andoh during the live broadcast, which focused on the appearance of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
“Complainants also objected to references to the comment made by ITV News presenters Tom Bradby and Chris Ship.
“While we understand some viewers had strong feelings about this comment, after careful consideration we have concluded that the comment was a personal observation which was part of a wide-ranging panel discussion which also touched on other diversity-related topics, and which contained a range of viewpoints.
“Our decision to not pursue these complaints further also takes into account broadcasters’ and guests’ right to freedom of expression.”
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Other fans submitted complaints over the wall-to-wall coverage of King Charles’ coronation
Other complaints made to Ofcom regarded the constant coverage of King Charles’ coronation. Many channels broadcast live coverage as well as other programming throughout the entire weekend, as well as on the Friday before (May 5) and the bank holiday Monday (May 8).
Indeed, Channel 4 was the only major network not to saturate the TV schedules with coronation programming.
Bosses at Channel 4 said at the time they wanted to “provide an escape from the pomp and ceremony elsewhere”.
By comparison, on the Saturday, coronation scenes were broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 7.30am. Coverage of the subsequent celebrations aired from 1pm on both BBC One and BBC Two. ITV began its coverage at 6am.
And live TV coverage for the Sunday’s coronation concert started at 12.30pm, going on until it concluded that evening.
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew‘s appearance at ceremony at Westminster Abbey also reportedly led to complaints to Ofcom.
BBC documentary suffered the same fate
The heartwarming documentary on the King’s ascension to the throne by the BBC called, Charles III: The Coronation Year, also received complaints.
The corporation revealed it had received 897 complaints over their special episode, which aired months after King Charles’ coronation.
It included behind-the-scenes footage of the new monarch preparing for his big day, including special moments with son Prince William and grandson George. Moments from their rehearsals were shown, including one hilarious joke the king made about his “sausage fingers”.
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The show, which looked at the monarch’s first year on the throne, received almost 900 complaints. Viewers complained it didn’t appear balanced, and appeared to favour the monarchy without addressing more perspectives, or controversial aspects of The Firm. Others didn’t like the overly positive view of the monarchy and the royal family.
The 90-minute special premiered December 26, 2023, and was produced by Oxford Films.
It’s not uncommon for the BBC to receive complaints, like any other broadcasters. In 2021, the corporation received a record 109,741 complaints over it’s jam-packed coverage of Prince Philip’s death.
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