McCall criticised for 'retard' comment

TV PRESENTER Davina McCall has been criticised by a media watchdog for using the word "retard" when interviewing a Big Brother contestant.

The incident occurred in January, on the same night as the finale of the last series of Celebrity Big Brother.

Evicted housemate Vinnie Jones first used the word when he talked about McCall entering the house in a chicken outfit.

Asked how he knew that the person in the disguise was McCall and not Nicola Tappenden, he demonstrated walking with difficulty and said: "She was walking like a retard, she was walking like this and our Nicky walks lovely."

McCall responded: "I do not walk like a retard."

Ofcom originally did not uphold the complaints and received letters of protest about its decision. Later, it decided to hold a review by referring the case to its Broadcasting Review Committee.

The learning disability charity Mencap welcomed yesterday's ruling.

Chief executive Mark Goldring said: "The groundswell of protest and emotion caused by Channel 4's broadcasting of this insulting word has demonstrated just how offensive and degrading a term it is."