Trans comedian's Friday Night Live appearance did not breach standards

Ofcom has dismissed more than 1,500 complaints about transgender comedian Jordan Gray’s appearance on Friday Night Live last month.

A total of 1,538 people contacted the TV regulator after her performance on the Channel 4 show, in which she stripped naked and played her keyboard with her penis.

But today the watchdogs have said they will take no action after assessing complaints that her routine breached ‘generally accepted standards’.

Gray’s appearance was dubbed ‘TV moment of the year’ by some viewers – but clearly divided opinion. The morning after the live broadcast, Gray tweeted: ‘Woke up this morning to the smell of burning gammon and it is DELICIOUS. Thank you Channel 4 for letting me be part of comedy history.’

She also posted: ‘What a weekend, mate! All this love and conversation is a magical thing. To my gorgeous new followers: please be patient with those who don’t understand. No hate. Women are beautiful. Men are beautiful. NBs are beautiful. I’m just tit with a piano. And change can be scary.’

A few days after the broadcast, Gray became the first trans entertainer to have their own show at the London Palladium, with the transfer of her breakout Edinburgh show Is It A Bird? to the landmark venue.

A ten-night run at the Soho Theatre, kicking off on December 13, has just been announced

Published: 7 Nov 2022