The BBC has been accused of censorship after viewers noticed that a pro-transgender slogan worn by Strictly Come Dancing contestant Bethany Antonia had been digitally removed from footage shown during Saturday night's broadcast.
Antonia, 28, who plays Baela Targaryen in HBO's House of the Dragon, wore a white T-shirt bearing the words Protect the Dolls during rehearsals with her professional dance partner Nancy Xu. The slogan was visible in a video the BBC shared on social media the day before the episode aired. But when the rehearsal footage appeared on television on Saturday, October 10, the slogan had disappeared, and viewers quickly took to social media to accuse the corporation of erasing a message of support for trans women.
The BBC defended the decision, saying it was standard practice. A spokesperson said that on any entertainment show, appropriate steps are taken to reduce the inclusion of overt branding or slogans, regardless of the wording or statement in question, and that the move was in line with editorial guidelines.
The explanation has not satisfied critics. Viewers called the decision cowardly and pathetic, with some questioning why a message supporting the trans community was treated as unacceptable content. A source familiar with the situation told The Sun that the BBC's handling of the footage had been poor and had created an unfavourable impression of the corporation.
Protect the Dolls is a slogan originating in the 1980s ballroom scene that expresses support for transgender women, known as dolls in LGBTQ+ communities. Clothing bearing the slogan has previously been worn by stars including Pedro Pascal, Madonna, Troye Sivan and Tilda Swinton. The T-shirt worn by Antonia was created by fashion designer Conner Ives and costs £75, with all proceeds donated to Not A Phase, a UK charity offering programmes and support spaces for the trans community.
In a statement, Not A Phase chief executive Danielle St James said the slogan might not have made it to air, but the message had reached the charity loud and clear.
The row is the latest headache for a series already navigating a turbulent period. The show is in a transitional phase after the departure of long-serving presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, whose replacements have received a mixed response. Past series have been rocked by scandals involving professional dancers, and Amanda Abbington received five-figure compensation from the BBC after a legal dispute over her treatment on the show.
The BBC insists the edit was a routine application of its guidelines rather than a judgment on the message. But in a febrile cultural climate, the sight of a corporation digitally scrubbing a pro-trans slogan has given its critics precisely the ammunition they were looking for.