Apology demand over Enfield sketch

12:32am Wednesday 8th October 2008

The Philippine ambassador in London is demanding a public apology from the BBC over a Harry Enfield sketch in which a man urges his neighbour to "mount" a Filipina maid.

Writing to the chairman of the BBC Trust Sir Michael Lyons, Edgardo Espiritu brands the sketch a "malicious and blatant display of racial prejudice". In a separate letter to the Press Complaints Commission he calls for an investigation into the matter and asks for "remedial measures" to be taken.

The sketch was broadcast as part of the Harry And Paul show on BBC One on September 26 and repeated on BBC Two on September 29. The BBC has received 54 viewer complaints, all in the past two days.

During the sketch, a man can be seen urging his lethargic neighbour to have sex with a Filipina maid, who is wriggling provocatively.

Enfield's character tells a passing postman: "Our chums up the road wanted to see if we could mate their Filipina maid with our Northerner but he's not having any of it."

He encourages the neighbour, saying: "Come on Clyde, mount her." And he tells the maid, wearing a grey uniform and apron: "You, you, present your rear."

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We have still not received any formal complaint from any embassy or Government body. When the official letter comes through to the BBC we will deal with it according to the correct procedures."

A spokesman for Tiger Aspect Productions, which makes the show, said: "Harry And Paul is a post-watershed comedy sketch series and as such tackles many situations in a comedic way. Set in this context, the sketch in question is so far beyond the realms of reality as to be absurd - and in no way is intended to demean or upset any viewer."

But the ambassador's letters, dated October 3, say: "Such portrayal and stereotyping of Filipino women as domestic workers and sex plaything is not only egregiously insulting to the Filipino community in the UK. It is also very malicious and is a blatant display of racial prejudice.

"Not only did the show give a bad impression of Filipino women. It also portrayed British employers as perpetrators of exploitation of young women, vulgarity and immoral activities, using their employees, in this case, the domestic worker, as a sex toy."

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