London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

‘Woke PC nonsense’: BBC presenter bans ‘offensive’ Christmas song ‘Fairytale of New York’, prompting social media backlash

‘Woke PC nonsense’: BBC presenter bans ‘offensive’ Christmas song ‘Fairytale of New York’, prompting social media backlash

A BBC radio presenter has caused consternation online after tweeting that he will no longer play the iconic Christmas song “Fairytale of New York,” by The Pogues, because the lyrics make him feel uncomfortable.

A BBC radio presenter has caused consternation online after tweeting that he will no longer play the iconic Christmas song “Fairytale of New York,” by The Pogues, because the lyrics make him feel uncomfortable.

The song includes frontman Shane MacGowan calling his co-singer Kirsty MacColl an “old sl*t on junk,” and her retorting that he’s a “cheap, lousy f*****.” In a since-deleted tweet, BBC Radio Solent’s Alex Dyke branded the lyrics as “an offensive pile of downmarket chav bilge.”

Dyke later revealed on his radio show that he wouldn’t be playing the track this festive season. The song has become synonymous with Christmas in the UK ever since its release in 1987, but the 57-year-old DJ called time on it because he doesn’t feel “comfortable” playing it.

The censoring of the song has provoked outrage on social media with some accusing the BBC of “woke PC nonsense,” and asking“Is there anything the Snowflakes won’t ban?” Others acknowledged that the language used was offensive, but that it was “a twisted love song and they are only referring to each other.”

Elsewhere, amusing gifs were tweeted, with one person claiming any such ban won't stop them “belting it out at the top of my lungs word for word.”


In 2018, MacGowan defended the use of the word “f*****,” a word now widely accepted as a derogatory term for a gay male, insisting that it was language in-keeping with the “character” portrayed by MacColl.

It’s not the first time Dyke has caused controversy with his outspoken views. During one of his BBC radio shows in 2015 he revealed his dislike of women breastfeeding in public, claiming it was “unnatural” and needed to be “stopped.” Dyke was subsequently suspended from his presenter role, before being reinstated just days later.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×