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We are all being forced to be too pc. Carol Thatcher made an off the cuff remark. J Ross is still working!! Do the maths! Whoever is making these decisions should be out of a job!

- Avril Cowell, North Yorkshire

Excuse me all of you who think PC has gone too far! My own mind was sorted by hearing a black guy interviewed on radio 4. HE GENEROUSLY SAID ITS ALL A BIT OVER THE TOP PENALISING CAROLINE FOR SAYING WHAT SHE DID.
Then a classy voiced gent said -when I was a child a gollywog was on the marmalade pot-we grew up with it.
The black guy then said-HEY WHEN I WAS A CHILD THAT IS WHAT I WAS CALLED IN THE STREET!
WAKE UP those who think the fuss is all about being PC in a foolish way. I was amazed that I had started to gloss over the event myself until the black guy (whose name I do not know) reminded me that is what some black kids have had experience of. Actually many adult black people too! Cobwebs out.Of course that remark from C.Thatcher was seriously not ok.

- Lois Matcham, London

I agree with Angie London find Jo brand & Jonathan Ross offensive along with others on the BBC but this all goes by he board. The remark was no more offensive than Brit which I take exception to being called.

- Audrey, Southampton English

If the BBC are so 'anti-Thatcher', why did they employ Carol in the first place? The paranoia of right-wing, PC-phobic Middle England is hilarious!

- Charlie, Soho

my favourite toy as a child was a golly all through my pre and post teen years it was my comforter and treasured friend. I never saw it as a anything to do with race. Why oh why cant we say perhaps some things spoken innocently in private, without being judged as 'racist'. I am a white christian who has been in a settled and very happy mixed relationship for many years. Its lovely being in love

- Angie, london

I am astonished that the BBC can tolerate filthy language, sexual innuendo, violent and sexually explicit material that many find offensive in the extreme, all on air, but will not tolerate the word golliwog off-air. The BBC have lost its way.

- Malcolm Sharrock, Portishead, UK

Steven Dale,

I'm sorry if you feel being a dinosaur of past, and not very pleasant times, means being grown up then unfortunately you are likely to remain out of touch and out of step.

thankfully the sense of frustration and powerlessness felt by the anti-pc bridage to their anachronyistic views, is not a random and accidental happening but the sign of a progressive and modern society that has left them behind. their protests serve as a useful reminder of why such views have been rightly marginalised.

- Scott, London

The sacking of Carol Thatcher is yet another example of BBC hypocrisy, political bias, lack of judgement and failure to control more leaks than Thames Water. To allow an off the record and obviously light hearted private remark to govern the future of an amusing and talented journalist shows clearly the lack of any constructive direction. Had someone been said to resemble a Barbie Doll, another toy, would the overreaction been the same? Ross and Brand should have been removed permanently but Ross was saved by a cringing and totally unconvincing apology, to waste millions of licence payers fees in broadcasting rubbish.

- Bt, London

It sounds as if BBC has landed itself in the jam for choosing which brand to support.Time for BBC to wake up and support us the status quo and not hypersensitive people who lack wisdom and maturity who are bent on destruction of The Establishment with no recourse to our history or future - if we have one ?

- Amt, Cardiff, Wales

No doubt a harmless remark about an Englishman in a bowler hat, say, would be handled the same way...?

- Martin H Watson, Teddington

How I agree with Frank Harvey in London. Political correctness has been taken too far; it is now nasty and invasive. It should be a huge worry to us all that not only do some want us to regulate what we say but also what we think. When will people in this country realise what is happening? When will the discredited BBC stop doing this government's dirty work? I hope Carole Thatcher 'sticks by her guns.'

- Wendy Nunn, Southampton

The "shock horror" reaction to Carol Thatcher's remarks by the media shows what a peevish, trivial, childish little country we have become.

- David Jones, Leicester

Here we go again with the PC rubbish! Grow up and deal with it already.....

- Mr M, SYDNEY

The question is perhaps not about Carol Thatcher , golliwogs, Chiles / Brand ,or even Politico-correctness

What would be interesting are the motives and agenda of the person(s) who complained about this word & what is their mind-set. Were they really offended & for what reason ? Explain please your offendedness / outrage - on your own or other peoples' behalf ?

Would people in other jobs environments (many just as public as the 'sensitive' BBC) react in this way ?

There's a lot more to this affair than is being reported. Will we get the true picture and facts ? Through the BBC ? - I doubt it.

- J, Hendon

Once again the BBC shines in its total lack of judgement. In the past many of us may have made a flippant remark in private which was not very diplomatic. Poor Carol is now subjected to the mindless judgement of a bunch of Judas Jobsworths with no sense of humour.

- John Bursby, Royal Tunbridge Wells

She was sacked and rightly so.

- John Span, london

Basically it's like this. You can only make insulting comments about your own race. (then you can be as insulting as you like!). That's the lesson.

- Nadie, London

I am really disgusted over the BBC's treatment of Carol Thatcher, they are using her as a scapegoat after their cowardly handling of the Ross and Brand affair. Carol is in no way a racist.

- June Wilson, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Liz, London - there's "sensitive", and then there's the "see the worst of everything paranoid, I-believe-in-my-point-of-view-so-yours-is-obviously-wrong hyper-sensitive" as used by the partisan PC crew. Most sensible adults try to live somewhere in between - its called 'reality'.

A condescending reference to growing up and putting away childish things is so out of context that it is rather silly and distracting. An evoked memory has nothing to do with childishness, merely a remembrance of something from the childhood years. That's not a call to arms unless someone sets out to make it such.

- Rogan, Irving

I am disgusted that most people are dismissing this as PC gone mad. The remark made by Thatcher is highly offensive to all black people and should be to others with a modicum of sense.

- Nat, Birmingham

Perhaps the one show could recruit Prince Harry to replace Carol Thatcher....

- Jon Vanner, Hoxton London

What is this country coming to Carol Thatcher a joy to watch on the one show, now being accused of a derogatory comment, why do people make so much of a word its this that makes them offensive comments always take in the wrong context, lets get back to basics swearing in public is far worse although everyone seem to do it.
bring Carol back now!!

- John Dix, Leigh Lancs

How ridiculous.

This pc nonsense has to stop, we are being brainwashed by this rubbish, and I blame the left wing Brown Broadcasting Company (BBC) for pandering to it all.

Let's go to the polls and settle this once and for all, and may I suggest that whoever wins power sends the BBC packing along with the present muppet government!


- Denise, London UK

Get rid of Chiles, cannot stand the bloke myself, bet if that favourite of the BBC 'Ross' said it everything would be okay............Time to have new management and some new presenters at the licence paying funded BBC.

- Anne,, Devon

If only we had more people like Scott in our society - clearly sensible and sensitive to others' feelings.
What certain people dismiss as 'PC' is clearly what makes life tolerable for others in the society. Admittedly, when civil servants have to dispense these laws, they could become rather pedantic but that is another matter and it is sometimes worth it for the sake of a cohesive society. Until the anti-PC brigade have borne the brunt of constant mocking just for being who you have been created to be - then perhaps they should be quiet. Will the anti-PC brigade find it ok if Carol Thatcher were to casually refer to a disabled person as a 'cripple'? When you are grown up, you put childish things aside, Carol has not....it is not every observation that you need to make a comment on, even if the observation is accurate - only children do that...grown-ups excercise discretion. Carol did not and she should not try and hide behind her mother's unpopularity with some members of society. She should have taken responsibility and apologised. Clearly, she is too arrogant to do so (or to ignorant to see the error of her ways) and so must pay for it.

- Liz, London

A suggestion to those who want the woman hung drawn and quartered for not keeping up with the times in her semantics - think "context". (You might also want to think, "Get a life!")

Racism isn't about words alone. It's about usage of those words. The tone of voice, and sometimes the associated 'body language'. It is the line the conversation has taken and where it is going. It is the known ideology of the speaker. It is often very much, as seems the case here with some commenters, about the people listening and their emnities, biases and predjudices. It is certainly about the circumstances involved.

If I see something that pleasantly resonates with my past experiences, I too might innocently comment on that similarity without first wondering if a malignant minded someone with an axe to grind is going to take it out of context and attack me with it. But then again, I haven't allowed personal paranoia to take root in this quasi-Orwellian world of soul-grinding PC and malicious informants that we live in.

- Rogan, Irving

Keith Price of Luton, if it is ok to sack Carol Thatcher for using a term that for the majority of us intelligent people has never been used in a derogatory way, why is ok to keep Jonathan Ross on for behaving MUCH MUCH worse AND for being personal into the bargain? Double standards and you should be ashamed to even hint at support of the BBC.

- Fq, London, UK

I think this is one of the most controversial words in the english language now simply because it's still actually the name of a toy doll - I had one myself as a child & loved it more than anything else I owned & I still see them in shops up & down the country. I like Carole Thatcher & feel very sorry for her that her 'off-air' comment was picked up like that. It looks rather as if someone was just waiting for her to fall. It's apparently ok to say 'look at that woman, she looks just like a Barbie doll.' So in view of this episode maybe the time has come either to rename this once popular toy or just to cease referring to it as an offensive comment!

- Dawn Bonham, Northampton

I'll bet pound to a penny that the dull ignorant vain and superficial Chiles is behind this,He is always hogging the limelight,interupting with his banal comments in that tedious brummy accent.
Carol Thatcher has outshone him with wit and repartee many times, and as for the numerous gaffes Chiles makes, why hasn't he had a wrist slap.
God knows how this fool gets to be paid so much for wittering on.

- Kedge, marlboro wilts

They still make the things and I have seen them for sale in Henley and other places. This Country is pandering to the Champagne Socialists again.

- Jonathan Clinch, Enfield

This is insane! What has become of this country? We are no longer allowed private remarks without fear of being reported to the police or one's employer.

It is beginning to feel like a police state. I think it is positively a pleasure living in Russia today.

- V Tan, London

This reminds me of the woman who in a far away land allowed a child in her care to call a toy bear a certain name for which she was punished by the authorities. We denegrated that country for having those standards i.e it was an innocuous matter, even if ill-advised, but is the way the BBC reacted any different?

N. Taylor and Scott, grow up; the wors is a toy beloved of many children in the 50's and 60's. It is in no way connected with race hatred - in fact the reverse - and certainly not slavery. If this continues there will be nothing any of us can say in a private place and at any time, without the political correct squad raising its ugly head.

As Charles Baklock asks, has the world gone mad? Yes, it has and leading on from that paraphrasing Ray Winstone's comments, this is yet another example of this country having gone to the dogs which it did a long time ago.

- Steven Dale, London, England

Is this OK if done in private? I chuckle to realise there are people defending Carol Thatcher. Thanks to the wistle blower, and to Lord Tebbit some times you should let people learn from their mistakes, this is Carol's budden let her carry it, she is a mature girl, may be and only may be she will learn from it.

- Charles Kyazze, London Uk

This is what she thinks and says in her normal day to day conversation. We should be discussing a reduction in the television licence - we are paying far too much. Yes, the BBC and all TV can do without her.

- Renee Hardcastle, Manchester, uk

I can not believe it would be Chiles,in one paper he is alledged to be shocked by the remark,I bet he must go to his beloved football with ear plugs

- Dave, bristol

We need to elect a government who will ban all political correctness immediately, on taking power. We are just NOT interested. Get it?

We need to vote for a team who will change the laws to avoid spurious complaints. And we should be able to jail the complainants for wasting police time and we should seek compensation from these complainants for the enormous costs spent by the authorities is following up there nonsense.

We should pass laws to stop vexatious litigation and legal claims by recouping all costs from the claimant. And we should ban all 'No Win No Fee' arrangements - they should be made illegal.

This will eliminate all 'Health & Safety' claims for compensation for tripping over a crack in the pavement or some snow on the curb. Or bad backs for lifting a finger.

And while we're at it, pull the chain on all 'Data Protection' nonsense.

All this stuff provides a smokescreen for lazy, incompetent chancers who probably haven't done an honest days work in their lives. And I'm not just referring to lawyers and politicians either!

- Haskey, London

At the BBC is now being run along the lines of George Orwell story 1984. Big brother is watching you ! Shame on the BBC and SHAME on this IDIOT HYPOCRITE who complained in the first place

- Joe, Swanley Kent

OK firstly she is not an excellent reporter, that's just nonsense.

secondly the Ross affair (which was far worse) is completely irrelevant.

and lastly, those people who claim this PC nonsense has gone too far, well it is a sad fact of life that the world moves on even if your views have not. And at the end of the day, there is a reason why tiresome, hackneyed and borderline offensive views and descriptions have been left behind... and its not because a new generation wants to spoil your fun.

- Scott, London

I have to agree with Norman Tebbit on this. It is very strange (and quite unacceptable) that a comment that was made in private and not broadcast can lead to a ban being imposed by the BBC when a stream of obscene, insulting, and offensive sexual remarks can be broadcast and yet no ban be imposed on the perpetrators. It might be better for the BBC to apologise to Carol Thatcher and take immediate steps to expose and correct its own faulted management systems.

- Patrick, St Albans, UK

"It has been condoned by the producers of the BBC who haven't acted to discipline that member of staff."'

What a stupid comment for the Thatcher representative to make. Nobody in this day and age sghould be using overtly offensive terms about anyone. The BBC were right to sack Carol, as any employer probably would have done too

- Keith Price, Luton, England

The next one to be axed will be Jeremy Paxman, after him saying "Good Evening" to Gordon Brown.

- Neon, London

Whoever complained needs to be viewed as a risk to the BBC's proud boast of being impartial. For Carol Thatcher to be treated in such a draconian manner compared to Jonathon Ross really tests impartiality within the ranks of BBC staff and management. I hope the whistle blower feels justified in their pomposity and does not suffer the same fate.

- Martin Biddlecombe, Bracknell, United Kingdom

is adrian a tell tale tit? probably

- george, france

It’s difficult to make ones mind up which is the bigger slime ball, the BBC, Jo Brand or Adrian Chiles.

- StephenD, London, England

The BBC is going barmy.
This PC nonsense has got to stop.
The Carol Thatcher remark cannot in any way be considered similar to that abortive action of Jonathon Ross.
The BBC's response to Ms Thatcher’s remarks is totally out of context and does nothing to improve race relations.
Why? because we the general public are getting more and more frustrated and resentful of this stupid opposition to free speech. I am more interested in the motives of the informant. They should be telling us what has incensed them so much. Was it the remarks, envy or mischief making. Either way the BBC should not have allowed them selves to be dragged into the issues and should reinstate Mrs Thatcher immediately.
Please grow up BBC or I'm afraid shortly you will be forced to submit to PC and lose the 'British' bit from your distinguished company name.

- John Skellern, Stoke-on-Trent, UK

I cant believe the BBCs hipocracy at the sacking of Carol Thatcher a wonderful English excentric who made an innocent private comment on observing the hair of a tennis playe.A Golly Wog was a doll that Carols and my generation would have had as a much loved toy as achild and at no time would the word be used in a derogatory sense The BBC has gone mad and I feel this country has gone mad when you hear how Mock The Week etc talk in such derogoraty terms about women english scots etc. This is crazy I will not watch the BBC. in protest for the rest of the week . All in my office love Carol

- Caroline Watson, Ashford England

Can I suggest that The One Show, after causing Thatcher to be sacked for making a private comment, be boycotted? Just what is the BBC management playing at? Time for Mark Thompson to go I feel, after his recent decisions, keeping Wossie on the payroll and refusing to broadcast a Gaza appeal, for instance.

- Jon Kent, Hertford. UK

In Nazi Germany and Communist countries ordinary people were afraid to talk freely, even in private, in case they were reported to the authorities. Nobody could trust anybody, not even friends.
Like millions of other brave men and women, my father fought to keep this country free. He would turn in his grave if he knew what some people want us to be like.
Carol is her own woman and long may she be so.

- Frank Harvey, London

Carol is an excellent reporter bringing fun to her presentations, I doubt she is remotely racist and we all loved our gollies as kids, it is in the minds of those who want to stir that make the complaints. Who complains about being likened to a Barbie doll, etc. It sounds like the BBC or a certain presenter getting above their station in life, Jonathan Ross was far more offensive and he spoke in public. Even after time off in the naughty corner he can't stop himself from making crude references. It is time we had a choice not to support the BBC and get rid of the licence fee.

- liza, London

Shades of Big Brother and the thought-police here. It reminds me of accounts of life in "people's democracies" such as Mao's China and North Korea: even if you're in your own home, or talking to your friends, be careful what you say.
THEY might find out!

Oh, yes: and how come it's apparently nigh on impossible to insult a white person?

- Croyboy, Croydon

Why HAS Carol Thatcher lost some of her BBC appearances for saying "Golliwog" OFF AIR?
Why HASN'T Jo Brand lost any one of her constant appearences on the BBC for incitement to harass members of the BNP ON AIR by suggesting sending them excrement?

- Frank McGill, England

Of course she should not have used the word to describe someone's hair - it was a big error on her part. However I think Carol Thatcher has always had a hard time from many people as she is Margaret Thatcher's daughter. Having seen last week's programme (after which she made the remark in the Green Room) I think it was an excuse in order to get rid of her. I have to say her report on the particular show was not very interesting or good and they probably used what she said as a way of terminating her contract.

It was a mistake and she has said sorry it seems like double standards to get rid of Carol Thatcher yet keep on Jonathan Ross as even though he did lose some pay it was not an enormous amount if you look at what he earns in total per annum.

- Allie, Enfield

political correctness gone mad - i always remember collecting gollywog stickers to obtain gollywog badges from Robertsons jams - i am of the same era as Carol Thatcher and see no wrong in the phrase as she used it - this is a vendetta on the daughter of one of this country's greatest leaders-

- simon, london

My feeling is that the BBC are slamming down hard on every misdemeanor, large or small, in some desperate effort to appease, and appear efficient and authoritative, after so peculiarly failing to sack Jonathan Ross. Whatever Carol Thatcher's remark/s (in private), they were nowhere near as obscene, gross and deliberately humiliating and damaging as those public phonecalls to Andrew Sachs were. By over-reacting, the BBC really do draw continued attention to their timidity and negligence in the Ross debacle.

- James Turner, London

The fact remains that as a journalist and fairly public figure Carol must know that certain words are considered offensive in many quarters. She was amongst a group of 9 or 10 people who she did not know all particularly well so her judgement was certainly poor. It seems that quite a few of those present were surprised and offended by her language so it seems that if she was making a joke it was a joke in poor taste. She should apologize further with no provisos and not be used for some time on the One Show. She seems a basically nice but, surprisingly, somewhat naive person. She must have known the minefield she was straying into.

We as people learn, change and language changes with us. They are now offensive, no if and but and maybe. You just don't use. It's not PC it's just cultural and linguistic change.

- Richard Jefferies, Cheltenham, UK

WHY SHOULD SOMEBODY BE SACKED FROM THE JOB???
BY SAYING GOLLIWOG IN PRIVATE IF SAID DIRECT TO A
PERSON THEY SHOULD HAVE THERE WRIST SMACKED.
LOOK UP THE THE WORD GOLLIWOG IN A DICTIONARY AND WHY
IS IT STILL IN ONE.AS OF TODAY I STOP WATCHING ANY BBC
TELEVISION . YOURS VERY OUTRAGED AND G??????????

- mr a pearce, peterborough

The BBC soon won`t have any shows left to watch and then they can turn on themselves.
Signed
D. Bagnall.
(another lost viewer)
Huddersfield

- Douglas Ian Bagnall, Huddersfield

She's still a racist though... who cares when it was said?

- N Taylor, London. UK.

I find the BBC operating dual standards, Carol Thatcher gets the sack for using a word off air, whereas Johnathan Ross gets a suspension and time to make fun of his suspension for using foul and abusive language making a live programme. Is it because it would cost the BBC to cancel his contract. Personally I do not find Ross the least bit funny neither do I have much time for Carol Thatcher but come on BBC lets be fair.

- Tony McBain-Oldham, Great Yarmouth England

oh c'mon.

she doesn't deny she said it, which is completely unacceptable in these modern times - and yet she was offered the olive branch of making an apology.

which she chose not to take up. Only has herself to blame, and maybe she should stop shirking her responsibilities and start looking a little harder in the mirror.

- scott, London

What about all the generations of British kids (including me-born in the 1940s )who were very attached to their golliwog "dolls".I adored mine.I also collected all the golliwogs you could send off for from Golden Shred marmalade.Either the sacking of Carole Thatcher is absolutely ridiculous,or I have always been and always will be "politically incorrect".

- Nona M. Bloem, Alfeld,Germany

Hi:
I'm a big surprise how quick act this Time BBC for sack Ms
Carol Tatcher for a comment she make in a private conversation, but when Jonathan Ross insult in a live programmme to " Manuel "hey he is back again. Is a shame
BBC only keep the rubish and the persones with qualitys
and values seems is not very welcome.
And I need pay the license for pay the salary to many
persones really don't deserve.
Why you don't ask to Mr Ross if he can payme the TV license because with the money I need pay my husband go to have more Physio and better life.
Thanks a lot.
Maria Smith

- maria smith, hale -UK

There is no hope for the stupid bosses running the BBC.They are paid massive salaries contributed by us in our license fees and would not servive in the real world.Let's have some fresh people in these jobs so that we can have value for OUR money.

- Gerald Diamond, Romford Essex

Well said. By coincidence, I have just been reading about the disgraceful cut and paste job the BBC did on Obama's inaugural speech. I also remember some of their fraudulent 'news' during the Thatcher Years. It is high time they were exposed and reformed.

- Steve, Cambridge

What in the world has happened to common sense!!!!

- Charles Baldock, Birmingham

The person who reported her should be sacked, for wasting time and snithcing on what was probably no more than an innocent remark. I always thought a golly wog was a childs toy, what idiot first associated it with slavery

- c j, stowmarket

I am 100% sure that Carol Thatcher is not racists. Leave her alone and give her back her job BBC. This is clearly a political vendetta. We should all stand behind her when as we would anyone who is innocently charged. Its crazy does anyone really believe she would muddy the waters in this way? Give her credit. Her mum was a woman PM and neither has ever been racists. Go after the real enemies of racism if you have the backbone and courage you spineless and vindictive BBC. Personally I shall never forgive you & Sky for not airing the Gaza appeal.

- R Singh, London

Asylum, and lunatics in charge thereof come to mind. More bloody PC, Anne Robinson insulted a whole nation with her quips about the Welsh - she's still employed.

It's all gone plain crazy!

- Geoff, In the country

What nonsense to suggest a personal vendetta against C Thatcher.Her surname is the only reason for the BBC hiring this opinionated and untalented woman.Her strident manner and unfortunate voice can not conceal the shallowness of her ideas & she is no loss to the BBC.I do agree that Ross should have gone...immediately for his shrill foul mouthed behaviour.

- p.doff, filey uk

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