TV cookery star Mary Berry says swearing on television is inexcusable and makes children think bad language is acceptable.
Berry, who co-judges the popular BBC show The Great British Bake Off, made the comments in an ITV interview with Piers Morgan.
When asked about fellow chef Gordon Ramsay’s swearing on TV, Berry commented: “I don’t like that. I don’t think there is any excuse for it.
‘Normal’
“If the young are watching they will think it’s normal and they can do it”, she added.
Ramsay has previously attracted a large number of complaints after he used one swear word 115 times during his Ramsay’s Great British Nightmare series.
Berry, 78, has published 70 cookery books and has appeared in numerous TV series.
Powerful
In 2011 comedian Sir David Jason also hit out at the volume of swearing that children are exposed to on modern television.
Sir David, who played Del Boy Trotter in the classic BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses, said he finds it impossible to protect his young daughter Sophie from sexual content and swearing on television.
In an interview for the Radio Times, the actor said: “I try to protect what she sees on television, but you can’t”, he said, commenting on an explicit advert which aired after a cartoon.
“It’s done for mums but they forget a lot of girls are watching these powerful images”, he said.
Boundaries
Sir David also criticised modern-day comedians, saying: “Today they push down the barriers”. He added that one swear word is now “commonplace”.
Humour, he said, is “doing what funny people have done since comedy began without being edgy and pushing boundaries”.