BBC pulls Repair Shop episode after complaints over ‘sexist jokes’

An episode of The Repair Shop has been pulled from the BBC after a TV production employee objected to a ‘sexist joke’.

Comedian Bob Monkhouse’s handwritten joke books, which date as far back as the 1960s, were brought in to be repaired by his adopted daughter Abigail Williams and his old writing partner Colin Edmond.

As a tribute to the entertainer who died in 2003 at the age of 75, footage of the restoration project was set to be aired later this year.

Now, however, BBC bosses are said to have axed the segment after a member of the production company Ricochet complained that one of the jokes was sexist.

A source told The Sun: ‘A production employee stumbled across a joke – no doubt written in the 1960s – and took offence, believing it to be sexist.

‘They flagged the problem, and a “collective decision” was made to cull the whole thing.

The source added: ‘Experts waiting to lovingly restore the historical joke books were disheartened.

And Bob’s loved ones, who had agreed to participate in the show to talk passionately about his life, were at a loss.’
Monkhouse’s journals were filled with thousands of pages of handwritten jokes along with illustrated cartoons and doodles.

After beginning work on them in the early 1960s, he was still using them before he died.

Calling the books he kept with him his ‘running files’, he always carried a couple of his joke books with him so he could add any fresh observations or lines as they came to him.

In 1995, however, two volumes of his ‘running files’ went missing, which led Monkhouse to publicly offer a reward for their return.

After being left distraught about the theft, his agent received a mysterious phone call 18 months later and they were eventually recovered.

Arranging a meeting, Monkhouse agreed to pay £10,000 as a reward, however, the police, who had been monitoring the exchange, quickly swooped in and arrested the men.

After his death, the volumes were stored in suitcases under Edmond’s desk who was gifted them in Bob’s will.

This comes after a man was left choked up after a rugby relic connecting him to his late friend was restored by The Repair Shop team.

The BBC show sees craftspeople restore objects that often hold huge sentimental value to their owners.

In this episode, which aired earlier this year, viewers praised the ‘amazing’ job that was done.

Metro has contacted BBC for comment.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.