BBC responds after coverage of Prince Philip's death draws nearly 110,000 complaints

The BBC has defended itself after its blanket coverage of Prince Philip’s death drew close to 110,000 complaints from viewers.

Regular programming was interrupted across BBC channels on TV and BBC radio stations when Buckingham Palace announced the death of the Duke of Edinburgh on 9 April.

The wall-to-wall coverage did not go down well with all viewers and it drew 109,741 complaints, which is thought to set a record for the most complained-about piece of programming in BBC history.

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However, responding to the complaints on Thursday, the BBC said in a statement that the death of Prince Philip “was a significant event which generated a lot of interest both nationally and internationally”.

The statement went on: “We acknowledge some viewers were unhappy with the level of coverage given, and impact this had on the billed TV and radio schedules.

“We do not make such changes without careful consideration and the decisions made reflect the role the BBC plays as the national broadcaster, during moments of national significance.”

“We are grateful for all feedback, and we always listen to the response from our audiences,” the statement ended.

Prince Philip passed away at Windsor Castle on 9 April, at the age of 99.

TV schedules were quickly cleared and shows such as the MasterChef final were postponed.

There were so many complaints flooding in that the BBC had to create a special form online to deal with them.

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The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral is due to take place at St George's Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, on Saturday.

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