Will Smith delighted fans with a Fresh Prince reunion on The Graham Norton Show.
10/05/2012 15:33 | By Lorna Cooper, editor, MSN TV
Disability slurs prompts Ofcom investigation into Matthew Wright's The Wright Stuff
Matthew Wright's The Wright Stuff is to be investigated by media watchdog Ofcom over disability slurs in a featured survey.
Channel 5
Matthew Wright of The Wright Stuff
Matthew Wright's daytime show on Channel 5 is being investigated by Ofcom again for a feature that aired on 26 April, 2012.
The Wright Stuff included a segment prompted by Rupert Murdoch's description of prime minister David Cameron's deceased son as "retarded".
The show then cut to a survey worded as follows: "What's the most offensive term to describe someone with learning difficulties: a). mong b) spaz and c) retard". The media watchdog will now investigate to decide if the featured poll breached broadcasting rules relating to offence.
The Wright Stuff has landed itself in hot water on a number of occasions; in December 2011, it prompted the most complaints to Ofcom (over 2,220) as viewers expressed their disgust at presenter Matthew Wright. He imitated the catchphrase of TV detective Taggart while making a reference to the murder of teenager Liam Atchison. The TV star personally apologised to the youngster's parents.
Earlier, in October 2011, Matthew Wright had to make an on-air apology following a discussion sparked by Amanda Knox's successful appeal for the murder of Meredith Kercher. The topic was headed: "Amanda Knox: would ya?"
Talking about the learning difficulties survey, a Channel 5 spokesperson said: "The words were referred to in the programme in the context of a serious and balanced discussion about Rupert Murdoch's use of the term 'retarded' to describe David Cameron's late disabled son.
We believe that Mr Murdoch's overall comment was intended to be supportive of the Prime Minister and his family, and we were focusing on the issues around using modern and appropriate terms to use in relation to illnesses and disabilities."
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106Comments
10/05/2012 16:26
Why are Ofcom wasting time and money on this? They should be investigating why TV has become such utter drivel and dross these days!
10/05/2012 18:36
It is not about being politically correct it is about using hurtful terms for someone with a disability, which is plain cruelty and therefore not acceptable.
10/05/2012 17:42
The big question is why is this man still on television? He has made numerous mistakes that have been hurtful to others and still thinks it's funny to be offensive. I am sick of people thinking that the more controversial they are, the funnier they are. No, you are never funny when you are being cruel about someone. Time to grow up a bit.
10/05/2012 16:22
Trivialising the subject of Disability is offensive and belittling. There is nothing acceptable about mocking people with any Disability.
10/05/2012 18:04
having had the privilege to work with people with a learning disability for over 30 years the abuse these people suffer in everyday life is discusting i've been asked to take people out of churches when they have sat there quietly because it made people feel uncomfortable, i've had hotels refuse to let them stay etc these people are vulnerable in our society and should be treated positively instead of being used by xxxxxxxx like this
10/05/2012 17:45
Matthew Wright is just a watered -down version of Jeremy Kyle , he pretends to be P.C. but likes everyone to know his opinion and does not care for anyone elses . A lot of these t.v. presenters are picked for their ability to bring in the viewers , but as shown by Jonathan Ross & co.
-overstep the mark and your gone . They must know how close to the wind they are flying ? or they simply don"t care ,as their job is protected .
10/05/2012 19:13
Did any of you actually watch the program, I did and I didn't find it offensive. Seems everyone is out to get MW - don't watch him if you don't like him and don't comment if you didn't watch the program. Some of you have definitly taken this out of context.........
10/05/2012 16:40
Perhaps if Victoria (little miss know it all) knew anything at all about living with a loved one who has 'Special needs' her attitude towards people and TV shows using derogatory terminology, would change drastically!!!
I wonder how she would feel to have, mong, spaz and **** associated to her on a personal basis? I suspect offended! Then again ignorance is bliss. 
10/05/2012 19:47
"What's the most offensive term to describe someone with learning difficulties:
a). Mathew Right
b) Jeremy Kyle
c) David Cameron
Think it would be a 3 horse race.....
10/05/2012 16:49
I rather like The Wright Stuff when I watch it. It can be rather near the knuckle at times but the politically correct brigade have made this an issue as no-one can pass any potentially derogatory comment at all about anything. I think that is why this country seems to at a standstill in dealing with cheats, crooks, terrorists, illegal immigrants etc.
This question was not saying any of the answers were acceptable but which was considered the most offensive....what is wrong with that?
By the way my wife is disabled and I would not refer to her in any of these terms. I do find people who do refer to disabled etc in these terms to be sick in the head and just hope they are never disabled as they would then see just how ignorant able bodied people are to the disabled.
10/05/2012 18:02
Lets face it Wright has no personality just grins and makes a fool of himself. He should never have been a chat show host in the first place. If I were in charge of the dreaded Room 101, his show would be the first to go followed by ALL the 10th rate Reality shows.
10/05/2012 19:51
I think that it is a disgrace using that type of English Language if you can call it that my brother has severe learning disabilities he goes out in his wheelchair with a carer he goes to the pub,costa,museums etc he has got to know a lot of people who are lovely to him but you still get the morons calling them the words that people on here think are acceptable.I Challenge Mr Sunshine out of his arse Wright come with me to the unit where my brother is and see a further 25 HUMAN BEINGS who are not Mongs,Spaz.Retards and let him eat Humble Pie.The problem with all you Morons on here saying that they dont care you are all brain dead just like Wright as you do and never will understand the word Disability so i hope for all your sakes in the future this never happens to you or do I !!!!!!
10/05/2012 18:29
This self-righteous clown is usually so "politically correct" when it comes to issues of "racism" it makes you want to vomit.
10/05/2012 18:47
Matthew always dismisses comments from both guests and telephone participants if they are contrary to his opinion. He even argued at length recently about the situation in Sri Lanka. Having not been there he was still insistent that he was more correct about the issue and circumstances there than his guest whose family were Sri Lankan and a place where the guest visited annually.
I wish when he deliberated recently about tax evasion that he would note the Virgin adverts which on occasions precede, during and follow his programme. Or his he equally adamant that the owner of Virgin pays all the tax in this country, or do I remember that some of the business had been moved abroad.
10/05/2012 16:53
I think all of those words are highly offensive and it has got nothing to do with being politically correct. As for Victoria's comment people like that make me sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! would she be happy if she had a accident and then was disabled or if she had a child who was disabled with someone calling her those dreadful words.
10/05/2012 17:28
These people who keep ignorantly citing 'PC'-Political Correctness- are reading too many tabloid newspapers. This isn't a PC issue. This is about being damn offensive. This is about having little respect or concern for others feelings. It's basic decency to take into consideration the feelings of those who could be hurt by this.Shouting 'PC' or 'freedom of speech' just shows you to be selfish ,uncaring and with no concern for others.
10/05/2012 17:49
the <show.> is rubbish
10/05/2012 17:58
Wright is not quite bright enough to realise he's not quite bright enough. He's a moron's idea of an intellectual but you just have to look at his gormless face to realise he's a fool.
10/05/2012 16:30
I agree with STEVEN SHAW 100%. Every time I view this programme-which is very rarely- I find myself questioning the manner of the host and his answer's, he has on more than one occassion mocked and remarked about some poor innocent soul being murdered-why is that funny????
10/05/2012 18:24
mathew "me and my clever chums" wright, no wrong mathew sometimes, in fact most times your wrong and when your wrong boy your wrong but who cares, you don't just say sorry and we just carry on plus a bit of publicity only one lesson that will keep rubbish like you and thats sack him have we forgotten the john leslie incident
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