The BBC has defended its decision to air a censored version of 'Fairytale of New York' following a host of complaints.
Earlier last month it was announced that Radio 1 would play an alternative version of the song from The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. A decision to air an alternative was taken to avoid offending younger listeners.
The corporation confirmed they had received complaints about Radio 1’s decision to only play an edited version of the Christmas song with the line "cheap lousy f****t" and the word "slut" being changed or muted out.
READ MORE: Fairytale of New York: BBC Radio 1 to play edited version of The Pogue's Christmas classic
The edited version will feature the line “you’re cheap and you’re haggard”, while the word “slut” will be silenced.
In a statement, they said: "We know ‘Fairytale of New York’ is considered a Christmas classic and we will continue to play it this year on BBC Radio, with our stations choosing the version of the song most relevant for their audience.
"We are aware that young audiences are particularly sensitive to derogatory terms for gender and sexuality, and after considering this carefully, Radio 1 has decided to play a version featuring Kirsty MacColl singing alternative lyrics, provided by the record label."
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Radio 2 will play the original song, but said it will continue to monitor listeners’ views. 6 Music said it has made an edited version available and will allow presenters to make the choice.
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