Vicar Of Dibley hit with 266 complaints over BLM episode where Dawn French’s character took the knee

THE BBC has been hit with 266 complaints over an episode of The Vicar Of Dibley that referenced the Black Lives Matter movement.

Last week’s Christmas special saw Dawn French’s character Geraldine Granger delivering a sermon about racism and taking the knee.

In one scene, the vicar calls the quaint village “not the most diverse community” before putting up a BLM poster on the parish noticeboard.

The BBC, who had previously defended the scene as “in keeping with the character and the theme of the show” confirmed the 266 complaints last night.

The scene was applauded by some sections of the audience but others complained of the comedy being “politicised”.

One tweeted: “It’s meant to be a comedy. People need to stop bringing #BlackLivesMatter into everything. Bore off.”

Dawn has also had her say after criticism started to appear, tweeting sarcastically: “A lovely calm day, full of humanity, compassion and support all round…..”

A BBC spokesperson insisted earlier this month that the episode did not break impartiality rules, saying: “Audiences understand the difference between news and comedy content and the sermons do not breach the BBC’s impartiality guidelines.”