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The Brit Awards 2026 has attracted a wave of Ofcom complaints.

The prestigious music event is renowned for provocative moments and edgy humour, but certain viewers were dissatisfied with the live broadcast which took place on Saturday (March 1) evening.

Transmitted on ITV1 with a brief delay from Manchester's Co-Op Arena, audiences at home encountered numerous instances of static noise employed to censor the programme.

This occurred whenever producers considered a remark or quip too inappropriate for broadcast and subsequently removed what had been said before transmission.

Viewers expressed frustration at the extensive censorship and lodged complaints with Ofcom.

A spokesperson for the broadcasting regulator confirmed that the bulk of the 148 complaints concerned "elements of acceptance speeches being edited and some related to jokes made by presenter Jack Whitehall".

The comic has fronted the Brits for five years and is recognised for his provocative style of comedy.

During the live transmission, host Jack had one of his segments muted after he addressed a table of politicians including Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Lisa Nandy.

Following his observation about the table, he was censored as he stated: "So many politicians! I thought I saw Peter Mandelson on the list. Oh no sorry, that was another list, my bad."

Another silenced instance involved I'm A Celebrity champion Angry Ginge, whose real name is Morgan Burthwistle, who appeared on stage to present an award with darts star Luke Littler.

The Salford native informed the audience that he was pleased the Brits had taken place in Manchester and "people are realising that London is a s**thole", a remark which was also silenced from the televised coverage.

Happy Mondays frontmen Shaun Ryder and Bez similarly encountered difficulties whilst discussing with Jack their notoriously wild and drug-fuelled past, portions of which were likewise edited out.

Meanwhile, rock legend Noel Gallagher was also censored towards the conclusion of his time on stage as he received Songwriter of the Year recognition for his 35-year career with Oasis and the music that has shaped subsequent generations.

Brit Awards 2026 is available to watch on ITVX

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