Top 20 Controversial British TV Shows of All Time

#20: Dick and Dom in da Bungalow (2002-06)

In the 2000s, few children would miss Dick and Doms weekend morning antics. Their series was so loved, it won two BAFTAs in 2004. Despite this praise, many parents found it a tad too edgy for childrens television. Such sentiments were motivated by Dom wearing a Morning Wood t-shirt. Despite most children not understanding the connotations, Ofcom was not happy. The majority of its appeal came from slapstick humor, which also upset parents. Many wouldve preferred educational shows for their children, rather than two grown men shouting bogies in a library. Even conservative MP Peter Luff called for it to be cancelled.

#19: The One Show (2006-)

One of the UKs most popular chat shows began broadcasting in 2006. Despite its innocent nature, its caused a handful of controversies over the years. For instance, in 2011, Jeremy Clarkson appeared, then made some comments that garnered over 21,000 complaints to Ofcom. Jimmy Carrs appearance in 2015 was similarly scandalous. Recently, presenter Jermaine Jenas was sacked due to claims of inappropriate behaviour. He lasted longer than Jason Manford, though, who was let go after 3 months as a presenter. The most hilarious controversy was in 2011, when Matt Baker asked PM David Cameron how he sleeps at night.

#18: Hells Angel (1994)

Saint Mother Teresa is a hero to millions of Christians. In Calcutta, she founded the Missionaries of Charity. It was a Catholic organisation, seeking to aid the impoverished. In the late 20th century, the media adored her. Not everyone agreed, which led to Christopher Hitchens and Tariq Alis documentary Hells Angel. It massively criticised her, claiming her institutions were massively corrupt. Many of her patients were seriously mistreated, and when asked about it, Theresa said, The world gains much from their suffering. Other criticisms were made, resulting in a huge debate globally after it aired.

#17: Top Gear (2002-22)

Launching in 2002, the series became a huge hit internationally. The trio of Clarkson, Hammond, and May had chemistry that millions adored. Regardless of its praise, there were constant controversies while it was on air. Everyone knows Clarksons final scandal, which got him kicked off after he assaulted a producer. The presenters also made a few offensive comments, which caused countless complaints to Ofcom. The most infamous scandal was potentially their Argentina trip. One of their number plates referenced the Falklands War, which outraged locals. Things got so heated, they had to flee Argentina, scared for their lives.

#16: EastEnders (1985-)

Since 1985, there have been over 7,000 episodes of EastEnders produced. Its become one of the UKs most popular soap operas, but of course, its had plenty of scandals. In 1997, it sparked outrage for reinforcing stereotypes about the Irish. Three episodes were filmed in Dublin, which were so offensive, the BBC had to issue an apology. Another controversy included hiring Leslie Grantham, a convicted murderer, to play Dirty Den Watts. Grantham later got into more trouble when the Daily Mail leaked inappropriate pictures of him. We cant fail to mention the 2010 baby swap storyline, which earned the BBC and Ofcom over 8,500 complaints combined.

#15: Mrs Browns Boy (2011-)

Brendan OCarroll created the series based on an older character of his, originating in the 90s. Since its debut, its maintained a high viewer count, but consistently negative reviews. Its humor is often considered offensive, with OCarroll once making a joke so racist in rehearsals that he formally apologized. This caused a huge uproar, with people saying its an outdated series, which should be taken off the air. In 2011, the Metro said it was jaw-droppingly past its sell-by date, a sentiment still believed over a decade after its conception. With so many viewers, its unlikely to be cancelled anytime soon.

#14: Naked Jungle

Jungle Run was a highly popular childrens game show from the early 2000s. Children would go through a series of assault courses, set in a mythical jungle. Now, how would it sound if we repeated it for adults, but they were all entirely naked? It doesnt sound appealing at all, but for some reason, Channel 5 thought it was good enough to produce. One episode was produced, which garnered over 2 million viewers, alongside plenty of complaints. Quite a few people praised it, saying it made them feel more confident about their bodies. Journalists, on the other hand, slammed it, with the Radio Times calling it the worst British show ever in 2006.

#13: Big Brother (2000-10; 11-18; 23-)

In 2000, Big Brother became one of the biggest reality series of all time. It puts a bunch of strangers into a house together, then surveils them to see what drama ensues. Its not hard to predict that such a scenario would cause controversies. Numerous contestants have made offensive comments that caused outrage. Its celebrity exclusive spin-off was even suspended in 2008, for wildly gross comments towards an Indian contestant, Shilpa Shetty. In the end, Shilpa got the last laugh, winning the series.

#12: Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (2010-15)

There are approximately 500,000 travellers living in the UK. A study from 2018 found more roughly 44% of all British people have negative feelings towards these groups. The 2010s reality series Big Fat Gypsy Wedding furthered these beliefs. Its advertising was considered incredibly prejudiced, and theres sufficient evidence to say it increased abuse of this kind. It also depicted minors in an exceptionally creepy fashion, warranting further criticism. Channel 4 apologised eventually, then refused to renew it for a season 3.

#11: Brass Eye (1997-2001)

Chris Morris satirical current affairs programme is still enjoyed today. Six episodes were released in 1997, which werent especially controversial. The main scandal was related to featuring politicians reading embarrassing scripts. In 2001, an extremely scandalous special was released. It was written to satirise the UK medias handling of nonces. Various celebrities were also pranked, being told they were supporting a fake charity. It received over 3,000 complaints, and the Daily Mail called Morris the most loathed man on TV. At the episodes start, 2 million people were watching, but only half of them made it to the end.

#10: Horne & Corden (2009)

Matthew Horne & James Corden rose to fame for Gavin & Stacey in 2007. This led them to produce an absolutely diabolical sketch show in 2009. Almost everyone hated it, even Corden, who said it was a mistake. There were numerous homophobic sketches, which reinforced harmful stereotypes. In response to the backlash, Corden said, Theyre stereotypes for a reason. The first episode attracted a monumental 817,000 viewers, but the final had just over 400,000. Now, the pair only collaborate to make Gavin & Stacey. Its much more acclaimed, likely because of Ruth Jones contributions.

#9: Little Britain (2003-06)

Few series are as divisive as David Walliams and Matt Lucas Little Britain. Some consider it the epitome of punching down, targeting every marginalized group you can think of. Millions of people loved it regardless. However, what some considered a huge issue was that it became popular among children, who would repeat offensive jokes without understanding them. Walliams and Lucas re-edited Little Britain in 2022, cutting out the most criticized parts. This version has since appeared on streaming sites, but their follow-up, Come Fly With Me has been removed entirely.

#8: Bo Selecta (2002-09)

Leeds comedian Leigh Francis became a household name after the popularity of Bo Selecta. Numerous celebrities were unflatteringly parodied. Craig David was the most famous, who said the portrayal ruined his life. Trisha Goddard was another who didnt take kindly to her parody, and said even her children were bullied because of it. In 2020, the series was pulled from streaming sites. Francis eventually apologised for his antics, but in 2025 changed his mind, saying he regrets nothing. This seemed to support Craig Davids observation that he only said sorry because he was on the back foot.

#7: The Biggest Loser (2005-12)

Body shaming is one of the worst ways you can help someone improve their unhealthy weight. Well, this series was essentially competitive body shaming. Contestants were forced to lose as much weight as possible, as quickly as possible, through whatever means necessary. Its a miracle no one died with how medically unsafe their tactics were. A lot of contestants reported long-term physical damage, with series 3s winner saying it was the biggest mistake of [her] life. According to her, showrunners forced people into being the villains or heroes. This resulted in a lady with an injured leg being portrayed as lazy. The entire ordeal was despicable, and were all glad its left our screens.

#6: 10 Years Younger (2004-)

Getting old is one of the few things well all experience. Unfortunately, instead of growing comfortable with that fact, this show sought to demonize any sign of aging. It equates beauty with youth, often targeting women. This reinforces societys harmful belief that men age gracefully, but women are forced to fight it. It therefore says aging is unacceptable for a woman, tying their worth to their appearance. It begins with 100 people on the street estimating someones age, often guessing too high. Then, theyd push cosmetic procedures, such as plastic surgery. At the end, the contestant is glamorously styled to standards unattainable in daily life.

#5: How To Look Good Naked (2006-08)

Stylist Gok Wan used to be all over TV in the 2000s, with this being one of his most famous series. It masqueraded as a way to improve womens confidence, but was instead exploiting their insecurities. For instance, theyd take naked photos of women, then have them plastered in public. A lot of pressure was put on the contestants, making it feel grossly humiliating.

Wan would then style them, giving them a makeover to look more conventionally attractive. It would finish with them doing a nude catwalk, strutting their newfound confidence. Its message was that personal transformation is equal to improving your appearance.

#4: Fat Families (2010)

The best thing about this series is that it would never get made today. Watching it is extremely uncomfortable; its fat-shaming to the extreme. It shows host Steve Miller trying to help overweight individuals, but his methods are straight-up bullying. Its since become a bit of an internet meme, with edits becoming popular on TikTok. While they exaggerate Millers ruthlessness, its not far from the truth. Its disturbing that something like this was ever made, pushing the limits of how abusive and exploitative reality TV can be. According to one guest, they were forced to do things to make them appear more unhealthy. For instance, they were forced to throw junk food theyd never buy into a shopping trolley.

#3: Love Island (2015-)

This reality competition has been wildly popular since it started. Its also been extremely controversial, with tons of people calling for its cancellation. It throws a bunch of single contestants on an island; if they begin a relationship with someone else, they can win £50,000. The main reason its controversial is because of how four people involved took their own lives. Some of these individuals came under intense scrutiny from the media and public. Over the years, its received tons of complaints, but still airs. Theyve recently tried to care more about contestants mental health, but many think it should be cancelled entirely.

#2: The Jeremy Kyle Show (2005-19)

For years, all you could find on daytime television was Jeremy Kyle exploiting the working class. Its widely considered a form of human bear baiting. Kyle would feature struggling individuals, almost always working class, and then instigate conflict between them. He pretended he was solving their problems, but really, he just made things worse. Kyle often utilised polygraphs to detect lies, which are not scientifically proven to work. In the end, it was cancelled after a guest took his life shortly after appearing. His name was Steve Dymond, and Kyle didnt hold back with him. Kyle said he was a serial liar and reduced him to tears.

#1: Benefits Street (2014-15)

Taking our top spot is one of the most detested shows in British history. Its a documentary about people living in extreme poverty in England. The resulting series was deemed incredibly distasteful. Many of the individuals featured were relentlessly harassed online. Even the series creator regrets making it. Ofcom and Channel 4 received hundreds of complaints about it, prompting an investigation into the series. They ultimately decided it wasnt a negative or offensive portrayal, like many complaints claimed. There was even a petition to get it cancelled, which got over 60,000 signatures, but failed to achieve its goal.

What do you think is the most outrageous TV show from British television? Let us know in the comments below!