By Laura Chubb (@LauraChubb1)

The TV presenter’s ‘Foxy Knoxy’ gaffe is just one of many

Seriously, how does Matthew Wright stay in a job? The Channel 5 presenter, who has been hosting daytime TV show The Wright Stuff since 2000, sank to jaw-dropping new depths in the aftermath of the Amanda Knox trial, when he introduced a phone-in on the topic: ‘Foxy Knoxy: Would Ya?’

In an astoundingly profound piece of broadcast journalism, Wright asked viewers if they’d shag the newly acquitted murder suspect.

As the TV presenter turned a shit-eating grin to his guests and asked them to kick off the discussion, ex-Atomic Kitten Liz McClarnon uttered a meek understatement in that she found the question “a bit awful”.

Of course, it’s not the first time The Wright Stuff has sparked controversy. Wright infamously outed John Leslie as the alleged celebrity rapist of weather-girl-turned-TV-presenter Ulrika Jonsson live on air.

He was also sued for libel in 2001 after he reviewed a play, The Dead Monkey, in The Daily Mirror as “without doubt the worst West End show” – despite having never actually seen it.

While these incidents might paint Wright as a man of seemingly dubious morals, you have to wonder about those who continue to provide him with a public platform.

Indeed, Wright dragged his feet over an apology for his latest gaffe, eventually giving a half-hearted on-air statement about making “front page news for all the wrong reasons”.

It’s here that Wright hits on the most probable rationale for an employer’s reluctance to get rid of him. As long as the presenter keeps being an arsehole, he’ll keep hitting the headlines.

For an employer such as Channel 5, for example, this is golden, as they can expect a rare boost in the ratings from approximately five viewers to perhaps six or seven.

Frankly, the cynicism behind celebrating the crass and downright offensive for profit makes my blood run cold.

It’s possible that Wright is just cripplingly stupid, but, unfortunately, those who employ him are not.

 

Squirrel cock controversy

I find the Daily Mail’s assertion that some viewers were “disturbed” by the image of a squirrel’s knob during the final of BBC2’s Great British Bake Off to be an exasperating example of Mary Whitehouse-ism gone mad.

After a shot of a well-hung squirrel made it somewhat inexplicably into the programme, there were apparently complaints about the eye-watering full-frontal making for an “unwelcome and unnecessary distraction”.

Honestly, the sense-of-humour void required of the type of person who picks up a phone to complain about indecent exposure on the part of a squirrel is just frightening.

What, are they worried the nation’s children will be corrupted by the squirrel’s self-confident audacity?

There are plenty of reasons to worry about the children of today’s Britain, but, for me, a sneaky peek at a squirrel’s cock does not rate highly among them.