Britain’s Got Talent fire stunt prompts hundreds of Ofcom complaints

By Ellie Iorizzo, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

A Britain’s Got Talent contestant who set himself on fire while attempting to solve a Rubik’s Cube has attracted complaints to media watchdog Ofcom.

Professional stunt man Thomas Vu from Los Angeles in California said he wanted to solve the colourful puzzle “in the most dangerous way possible” during the latest episode of the ITV talent show.

In the shocking scenes, the contestant was covered in a fire-retardant gel before being set alight during the audition which sparked 334 complaints to broadcasting regulator Ofcom.

Meanwhile, Channel 4 show Naked Education attracted further complaints for showing nudity to 14 to 16-year-olds and airing the scenes before the watershed.

Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom said it had received an additional 208 complaints from viewers relating to an episode that aired on April 4, taking the total number of complaints to 1,138 for that episode.

A spokesperson for Ofcom said: “We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, before deciding whether or not to investigate.”

The latest episode which aired on April 11 has garnered 159 complaints, Ofcom said on Wednesday.

The series, hosted by Anna Richardson, is described by the broadcaster as “body-positive” and aims to “normalise all body types, champion people’s differences and break down stereotypes”.

Episodes have tackled issues including body hair, male body image, the effects of ageing and cosmetic surgery. They have also featured participants posing nude in front of a class of young people.