Savage thrusts given all-clear

Robbie Savage's Michael Jackson-style pelvic thrusts on Strictly Come Dancing did not breach "generally accepted guidelines" but part of the routine was at "the margins of acceptability", according to the BBC Trust.

The BBC received hundreds of complaints after the former footballer danced with partner Ola Jordan to Jackson's hit Bad last year and finished his routine by leaping on the judge's desk.

The corporation's editorial complaints unit (ECU) investigated the complaints and concluded the routine "did not breach the guidelines", describing the final hip thrust as "a humorous punctuation rather than something that has sexually explicit overtones".

But two viewers appealed against the ECU decision and said Savage's routine was "inappropriate... during family viewing time".

The BBC Trust's editorial standards committee (ESC) then investigated and ruled some viewers might find it "tasteless and vulgar" but it "did not exceed audience expectations".

Its report, published today, concluded that "the dance routine met 'generally accepted standards', but the final hip thrust on the judges' desk was at the margins of acceptability in a programme appealing to a wide family audience".