How Chris Moyles could be most controversial I'm a Celeb star after scandals over 'sexism', sacking and Charlotte Church | The Sun

WITH huge stars like Boy George, Mike Tindall and…erm… Matt Hancock, this year's I'm a Celeb could be one of the best yet.

But it's the appearance of Chris Moyles that could steal the headlines, with the DJ set to be the jungle's most outspoken star.


Over the years, the 48-year-old Radio X presenter has landed in hot water with Ofcom and even a Hollywood A-lister over scandalous comments he's made on air.

Here, we take a look back at some of his biggest controversies to date.

Charlotte Church comments

In 2002, Chris was heavily slammed for making vile comments about Charlotte Church during his afternoon show on Radio 1.

Referring to the former child star's 16th birthday, the DJ, then 28, told listeners he would like to "lead her through the forest of sexuality now that she had reached 16."

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The comment immediately sparked outrage with the BBC issuing a statement that it was down to Chris' style of humour and not meant to be taken seriously.

The Broadcasting Standards Commission, however, noted "the explicit sexual content and humour had exceeded acceptable boundaries for the time of transmission".

Racism row

Chris had an on-air clash with Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry, 56, in 2006, who accused him of having a "racist moment" during an interview.

While promoting her new X-Men film with Hugh Jackman, Halle became offended when the presenter decided to do an impression of a "fat, black guy".

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It all began when Hugh, 54, joked that the host could play his body double if he were to get a role as James Bond, leading Chris to do a bizarre impression yelling: "Put your hands up in the air!"

A confused Hugh asked: "Are you some kind of Brooklyn Bond?"

Chris then replied: "I'm a black American guy. A big, fat, black guy," before adding: "Put your hands up in the air. I don't wanna be shooting yo ass."

Halle, who was clearly annoyed, interjected: "Are we having a racist moment here?"

Chris denied it immediately and waited for the Monster's Ball actress to leave before telling her to "get over" herself.

Sexism storm

That same year, he was again slammed by Ofcom for making derogatory comments when he referred to female listeners as "dirty wh***s".

During his breakfast show, he urged female listeners to send him text messages telling him whether they urinated in the shower.

After receiving a number of texts, he said: "Thank you very much ladies, I shouldn't really say ladies – you all pee in the shower you dirty wh***s."

Ofcom said that although he meant it in a light hearted manner, it was a word that many, particularly women, would find offensive.

Homophobia backlash

He was also slammed in 2006 after rejecting a ringtone on air, saying: "I don't want that one, it's gay."

The BBC received a flood of complaints – including from groups such as LGBT charity Stonewall – saying he had used the word in a homophobic manner.

The corporation cleared him of any wrongdoing and said the usage was him "keeping up with developments in English usage".

In 2009, he was censured by Ofcom after he told listeners it was Will Young's birthday and proceeded to sing his songs Leave Right Now and Evergreen.

He sang the songs using a high pitch "effeminate" voice and changed its lyrics to reference the sexuality of Will, who is gay.

After a slew of complaints, Ofcom said it could have been "interpreted by listeners as promoting and condoning certain negative stereotypes based on sexual orientation".

Auschwitz

In 2009, he appeared on the BBC genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are?

Speaking about it on his radio show, Chris said: "I went off to Ireland and other places to film and unlike a lot of the Who Do You Think You Are? shows I didn't go to Auschwitz."

He added: "Pretty much everyone goes there whether or not they're Jewish. They just seem to pass through there on their way to Florida."

The BBC quickly issued a statement saying: "Anyone who listens to the Chris Moyles Show will know he has an irreverent style.

"However, we regret that on this occasion his comments were misjudged and we are speaking to Chris and his team about them."

Pay row

For years, Chris' pay at the BBC had been a topic of debate.

It intensified in 2010 when the star embarked on a 30-minute long tirade about how he had not been paid for two months.

After the 6:30am news bulletin, he said: "I'm very, very angry, very, very angry at being put into this position. I can't tell you how furious I am.

"I haven't been paid since the end of July and no one cares about it. No one's bothered."

He added that the situation was a "huge lack of respect and massive FU to me".

Although he was spoken to about the incident, then Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt said he had not been reprimanded as he hadn't "crossed the line".

Fellow DJ Chris Evans, however, was not as understanding and said that he had "lost perspective" and should leave the BBC.

BBC sacking

After eight years of presenting Radio 1's breakfast show, the BBC revealed in 2012 that Chris would be leaving and was being replaced with Nick Grimshaw.

Three years later, he told The Sun that he had wanted to resign after nearly 10 years and would have announced his exit live on air.

However, he was unable to do so after then Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper took him into a meeting to tell him he was being taken off the show.

He said: "Ben called me in for a meeting and said: ‘It’s time. We need to wrap this up'."

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He added: "I’d done eight-and-a-half years. I’d decided at nine-and-a-half-years I’d turn the mic on one morning and say: ‘When my contract runs out at Christmas, I’m not going to re-sign. I’m off.’

"That would have been ten years on the Breakfast Show. So my reaction when Ben told me was: ‘You s***bag, you’ve just blown my announcement by a year.'"

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