The BBC has been accused of turning Question Time time into a 'pantomime' after this week's panel featured a man dressed as Little Bo Peep.

Viewers have flooded the corporation with complaints after artist Grayson Perry, best known for his ceramics and cross dressing, appeared on the show.

Fans of Question Time, which allows the public to quiz cabinet politicians and leading MPs, accused producers of dumbing down the respected brand.

Enlarge 

Little Bo Peep: Artist Grayson Perry shocked viewers on BBC's Question Time

They claimed the Turner Prize winning transvestite risked turning the BBC1 programme into a joke, saying the choice of guest was a desperate 'gimmick'.

Critics say historic heavyweights, like former presenter Sir Robin Day would be 'turning in his grave' had they witnessed Thursday night's show.

Enlarge 

David Dimbleby with cross-dressing guest Grayson Perry

Sir Robin Day presented the show between 1979 and 1989. He died in 2000.

Viewers were not only angry at the 'lowest common denominator approach', but say the guest did not even make a valuable contribution to debate.

One viewer claimed the antics were the first 'nail in the coffin' for one of the 'best political programmes on TV', which is presented by David Dimbleby.

Perry, 48, was on the panel with Minister of State Yvette Cooper and Tory shadow security spokesman Dame Pauline Neville-Jones among others.

Some critics branded the moves as the latest evidence of the BBC's rampant political correctness.

On the programme's website viewers vented their fury with over 40 of the 50 comments condemning the antics.

Janice Evans, from Glossop, said: 'Unbelievable! BBC you are now officially a joke.'

She added: 'I don't know what point you are trying to make doing this, but your credibility has gone down the pan.

'His/her only comment seems to be 'oh gosh-  fantastic BBC - well done - not.'

Andrew Morgan from Trowbridge said: 'So a man dressed as a woman calls Mugabe mad. My problem is not that he dresses as a woman, but that he has nothing useful to say.'

Joseph Brannan from Kilsyth added: 'One of the standard bearers of political debate in the UK in which the public get to quiz elected politicians has now descended into a Channel 4 freak show.'

Gary Ambrose from Cheltenham said: 'Tonight you have turned a serious programme into a farce.'

Panel: Question Time guests included Minister of State Yvette Cooper and Tory shadow security spokesman Dame Pauline Neville-Jones

One viewer said: 'What over liberal minded person from the BBC allowed this to happen'.

Veteran broadcaster: Sir Robin Day presented Question Time between 1979 and 1989

Another said: 'How can anything on tonight's programme be taken seriously with a man wearing a Bo Peep dress on the panel.'

A BBC spokesman: 'Question Time invites a wide range of panellists on the show from diverse backgrounds – including artists.

'Previous artists have included Tracey Emin and David Hockney, and with Grayson Perry curating an exhibition in Bexhill where we were recording this week, it was an ideal opportunity to invite him onto the show.

'As a respected artist and Turner Prize winner we felt he offered interesting viewpoints on the topics debated.'

The row follows criticism of last week's show after some viewers were angry that Jerry Springer was given a place on the panel.

This sparked complaints that programme-makers had selected the host of a trashy U.S. talk show and that he added nothing to the debate

Over 40 of the 55 general comments on the Question Time website were about the choice of Grayson Perry.

Eric Shepherd of Leyburn said: 'I look forward to Question Time each week, however I refused to be made a fool of when you introduce a male panelist dressed as a woman.

'You have lowered the tone of the programme to the extent where I am now switching off in protest.'

Catherine Docherty from Chelmsford added: 'I am flummoxed! I wouldn't take a woman in that dress seriously, never mind a hairy bottomed bloke with a Quasimodo haircut!'

One said a visiting diplomat would be 'extremely surprised by this situation' if they watched the show.