KFC television advert named most offensive of all time

A television advert for fast food chain KFC featuring call centre workers scoffing chicken while singing is the most complained-about advert in British history, according to a report by the UK's advertising regulator.

Marking its 50th anniversary, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued a report revealing that it has dealt with a total 431,000 complaints about advertising over the past five decades.

The ASA also published a list of the most complained-about UK campaigns of all time, headed by KFC's 2005 ad, which generated a record 1,671 complaints.

Despite parents objecting that the ad could encourage bad manners among children, the ASA ruled that it was unlikely to undermine parental authority.

Other entrants on the list included Paddy Power's 2010 commercial showing a cat being kicked into a tree by a blind footballer, which attracted 1,313 complaints, along with the UK's first abortion service advice advert (1,088 complaints) and an Opium perfume poster that featured model Sophie Dahl wearing noting but a pair of high heels and jewellery as she reclined on a fur rug (948 complaints).

"Our top ten most complained-about ads of all time certainly reveal what gets the public talking, but even more important is the less glamorous day to day action we take to protect consumers from misleading advertising," said ASA chairman, the Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury.

"Our commitment for the next 50 years will be the same as for the last: to keep UK ads legal, decent, honest and truthful. We're up for the task."

Culture minister Ed Vaizey added: "I congratulate the Advertising Standards Authority as it celebrates its 50th year as the UK's advertising watchdog.

"The advertising industry in the UK is world renowned for its creativity and innovation, but also for abiding by the rules that are designed to protect consumers. As an effective and well respected regulator, the ASA plays a crucial role in enabling responsible advertising to flourish."

The all time most complained-about ads top ten in full:

1. KFC (2005): Call centre workers singing while eating chicken - 1,671 complaints (not upheld)
2. Auction World (2004): Shopping channel - 1,360 complaints (referred to Ofcom)
3. Paddy Power (2010): Cat being kicked into tree by blind footballer - 1,313 complaints (not upheld)
4. The Christian Party (2009): Poster saying 'there definitely is a god' annoys atheists - 1,204 complaints (not upheld)
5. British Safety Council (1995): Condom advert featuring the Pope - 1,192 complaints (upheld)
6. Marie Stopes International (2010): Britain's first TV ad offering advice on sexual health - 1,088 complaints (not upheld)
7. Volkswagen (2008): Showed engineer fighting different versions of himself - 1,070 complaints (partially upheld)
8. Yves St Laurent Beaute (2000): Model Sophie Dahl reclines in the nude - 948 complaints (upheld)
9. Department of Energy and Climate Change (2010): TV and press campaign about climate change - 939 complaints (upheld in part)
10. Barnardo's (2008): TV ads about domestic child abuse - 840 complaints (not upheld)

Also today, the ASA said that in 2011, "we experienced a record year in terms of our workload".

An advertising campaign for Phones 4U, featuring a demonic, ghost-like girl, attracted the most complaints last year.

The campaign, which ran in September and October, took inspiration from classic Japanese horror movie The Ring, as the girl stalked a woman in an underground car park.

Shown on various TV channels and also by Channel 4's 4oD service, the ad attracted 659 complaints to the ASA.

Despite various objections that the ads were "offensive, irresponsible, unduly distressing and inappropriately scheduled at a time when children might see them", the ASA cleared the campaign in December 2011.

In second place on the list was a Littlewoods Christmas television ad, which racked up 585 complaints for seemingly suggesting that Santa Claus did not bring people's presents.

Even though parents complained about the ad being shown when children could be watching, the ASA was again unmoved and cleared the campaign.

Phones 4U got the dubious honour of having two more ads in the complaints list, including an Easter press campaign featuring a cartoon image of Jesus winking and offering customers "miraculous deals" on mobile phones.

Almost 100 complaints were submitted against the ads, which were duly banned by the ASA. The third campaign involved TV ads featuring a strange, zombie-like character in various household scenarios, but the ASA opted to dismiss the 79 complaints against it.

'The Voice' UK Max Milner dismisses John Lydon 'humiliation' comments

Former The Voice UK contestant Max Milner has responded to John Lydon's claim that TV talent shows humiliate contestants, saying that he "felt [at] home" on the BBC format.

Lydon has been quoted as saying that shows like The Voice and The X Factor have a "painful tone of... smirking at who gets voted off" and are "utterly corrupting".

Speaking to Digital Spy, Milner rejected the punk icon's suggestion and said that, aside from some questionable editing in the Battle Rounds, he had not felt taken advantage of by The Voice.

"I never felt humiliated, no," he said. "I think I came across as slightly cocky in the Battle Rounds, which I'm really not. But that's the way it was edited and it's done now.

"And then we got into the live rounds, so I could only be me. I think maybe they can [humiliate], but in my experience, absolutely not. I almost felt [at] home."

Milner, who was voted out in The Voice semi-final this weekend, agreed that his "amazing" fellow contestant Bo Bruce and their mentor Danny O'Donoghue were a big part of why he enjoyed the experience.

"[Danny] just believed in me, which is just so beautiful and so lovely," he said. "I owe everything to him, I really do. I look up to him so much, and that's not just because he's 6ft 4.

"You can see from somebody's body language and how they speak to you whether they actually like you, and I feel like he really does. I could just chill with him, and I have chilled with him in the pub. I'd like to think that he'd be happy in my company, as happy as I am in his."

However, the 21-year-old from London admitted that he was somewhat disappointed that he could not sing original songs on The Voice.

"I wanna get my music out there because I feel like I'm almost destined to sing my own words," he explained. "Obviously I haven't been able to do that on The Voice, it's all been covers.

"I suppose I was [disappointed] to an extent. I can understand that some people are instantly on board by hearing the song choice, but I would have loved to show my sound and really get that across. But hopefully that's not a pipe dream and I can do that now."

Jon Stewart Calls Out Republicans, NFL on 'Socialism'

Jon Stewart responded to Fox News president Roger Ailes' contention that Stewart once called himself a socialist by pointing out that some of the country's most popular policies are socialist, too.

And so is the National Football League.

Stewart defended himself -- and President Obama, who Republicans often denounce as a socialist -- just before a visit by first lady Michelle Obama to Monday's "Daily Show."

Stewart didn't contest that he may have told Ailes, in a bar, that he was something of a socialist while in Philadelphia for the 2000 Republican National Convention. He remembered it a bit differently than Ailes probably does, however: As an "Eyes Wide Shut"-style masked orgy.

Stewart then played a "Larry King Live" interview in which he said he did indeed have some socialist beliefs. But then pointed out that some conservative luminaries as Mitt Romney -- a supporter of Social Security -- and Sarah Palin -- a supporter of Medicare -- harbored some socialist ideas, too.

But the biggest socialists of all? That close-knit, secretive group many Americans reverently follow, even dressing up in their unforms watching their broadcasts on Sunday and Monday nights.

TV Predictions for 2011-12: What We Got Right and Oh-So Wrong

We were right about NBC ending up in third-place this season, and about ABC playing it too safe. We were also right that "2 Broke Girls" and "Person of Interest" would be at least modest hits for CBS. And that "The New Girl" would be a bigger hit for Fox than "Terra Nova."

But we went too far when we said "New Girl" could also be more successful than "X Factor," with which it went neck-and-neck in the ratings. We were completely wrong to say the now-canceled "Ringer" could become the CW's biggest hit. And we underestimated viewers' interest in fairy tales.

Also read: NBC Beats ABC to 3rd in Ratings; 'Sunday Night Football' Ousts 'Idol' as Top Show

We made lots of predictions about the 2011-12 TV season before it started. And now that it's wound down, it's time to hold ourselves accountable. (If you want to read our full prediction stories from September, here they are for Fox, the CW, NBC, CBS and ABC.)

Here's our network-by-network rundown of what we thought would happen, and what actually did.

FOX

In our first prediction story, we said "Terra Nova" and "X Factor" couldn't live up to their hype. And they didn't. "Terra Nova" was canceled, and "X Factor" fired half its judging panel and brought in Britney Spears and Demi Lovato for its second season, airing this fall.

"X Factor" failed to top "American Idol" in the ratings, as Simon Cowell said he hoped it would. Instead, NBC's "Sunday Night Football" toppled "Idol" after eight seasons of "Idol" dominance, and NBC's singing competition "The Voice" has been in a close race with "Idol" for number two. (Final numbers for the season are not yet available for the shows.)

We predicted "The New Girl" could be a bigger hit than "Terra Nova" or "X Factor," and we were right about the first part. "New Girl" and "X Factor" ended up very close in the ratings: The Wednesday "X Factor" averaged a 4.4 in the 18-49 demographic most important to advertisers, and the Thursday edition a 4.2. "The New Girl" averaged a 4.2 rating.

Also: We were wrong to say the animated "Allen Gregory" looked likely to succeed based on the star power of Jonah Hill. It's canceled. We were iffy on "I Hate My Teenage Daughter," and so was Fox. It's gone.

NBC

We got some specifics wrong – we were much too generous about the prospects of the fast-canceled "Free Agents" and "The Playboy Club" – but we generally got NBC right.

We said the network didn't appear to have any new breakout hits – and it didn't – but still had a good shot at breaking into third place in the key demo. (We even headlined the story "How NBC Can Break Into 3rd Without Breakout Hits.")

How did NBC do it? Pretty much just as we said it would: On the strength of "Sunday Night Football," and by using the Super Bowl to launch the second season of the hit "The Voice." ("Sunday Night Football" and "The Voice" were NBC's biggest ratings earners.) NBC had the biggest gains this season of any network, percentage-wise, in both the demo and total viewers.

We were also overly pessimistic about "Grimm," which turned out to be a success in an unenviable Friday time slot. We're sorry.

THE CW

We were very wrong to have written in September that the Sarah Michelle Gellar drama "Ringer" could "easily" become "the CW's biggest hit."

We were also wrong to say it could help the network gain traction beyond the 18-34 demographic it has targeted in its first five years.

In fact, CW ratings were down 22 percent this past season in the 18-49 demographic most important to advertisers and 15 percent in total viewers. (Click on chart, left, to enlarge)

No other network was hit as hard as the fifth-place CW.

We had low expectations for "Hart of Dixie," the only new show from this season that the CW has renewed for the next one.

And we were wrong to predict the now-canceled "Secret Circle" looked likely to survive. We said we could go either way on the reality show "H8R," and the CW went the negative way, quickly pulling it.

CBS

As we predicted, "2 Broke Girls" and "Person of Interest" both did well for CBS. Not that it was a tough prediction: CBS said the shows were their highest-testing pilots of the season.

"2 Broke Girls" did especially well: It and "X Factor" are the highest-rated new shows of the past season.

We were right that the canceled "Unforgettable" wouldn't live up to its name, and overly optimistic about the now-canceled "How to Be a Gentleman" and "A Gifted Man." 

We said CBS was taking a gamble by recasting "Two and a Half Men" to continue without Charlie Sheen, but noted that the only other option was cancellation. The show continued to thrive -- even though "Big Bang Theory" replaced it as CBS top-rated comedy -- and "Men" gave a great boost to "2 Broke Girls." In the fall, "Girls" will anchor Monday nights for CBS, while "Bang" and "Men" will team up on Thursdays.

ABC

We said ABC was playing it "safe – too safe" with a mix of shows featuring "hot women [and] dumb dudes." We would submit that we were right.

ABC lost third-place to NBC as it canceled two of those "hot women" shows, a humorless "Charlie's Angels" reboot and an adrift "Pan Am."

We were right to recognize the fairly successful "Revenge" as a "potential breakout." The Tim Allen vehicle "Last Man Standing," which we also called a potential breakout, merely survived. Its second season will air on Fridays in the fall.

We said "Once Upon a Time" seemed "too complicated" to be a hit, underestimating the public's interest in fairy tales, as we did with "Grimm." Oops.

We overestimated "Suburgatory," meanwhile, by calling it ABC's "best chance for a hit." In fact, "Once Upon a Time" was easily ABC's biggest new show, followed by "Revenge." "Suburgatory" scored strong enough ratings to come back for a second season, but our expectations were too high.

'Mrs Brown's Boys' to be made into movie?

BBC One sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys is to be made into a feature film.

However, series star and creator Brendan O'Carroll is yet to begin work on a script, according to The Sun.

"I haven't written it yet," confirmed the comic. "That's what success does, they give you money and say 'Whatever you think'. So I've taken the money!"

Mrs Brown's Boys was recently named best 'Situation Comedy' at the 2012 BAFTA Television Awards, beating off competition from Fresh Meat, Friday Night Dinner and Rev.

The series, which first aired in January 2011, started life as a radio show on Irish station RTÉ 2fm.

A second run of TV episodes came to an end on February 4 this year, with a third series to air on BBC One in late 2012.

DJ Fresh: 'I'd be a judge on Simon Cowell's new DJ show'

DJ Fresh has revealed that he would appear on Simon Cowell's new DJ show.

The music mogul's Syco production company has teamed up with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's Overbrook Entertainment to search for the "world's greatest DJs".

Asked if he would be a judge on the show if approached, DJ Fresh told Digital Spy: "Yeah, if it meant I could carry across the scepticism of where I'm from - which is something they probably need.

"If I didn't really think about it my answer would probably be no, but the more I've thought about it I think I would have a different perspective than the other people on the panel."

Speaking about whether a respected DJ could come out of a talent show, the star added: "I think everybody assumes the answer to that is no, but I think the one thing X Factor has really highlighted is the way music promotion is changing.

"It's becoming more about people interacting with something they think they should want. Although you can be sceptical about The X Factor and the people that come out of it, ultimately it's the public who determines who's popular and who wins."

He added: "I think it will be interesting and I'm sure there will be plenty of talented people who come through it. Because dance music is an important part of British culture, it's great that it's getting that kind of spotlight."

DJ Fresh has teamed up with Dizzee Rascal for his new single 'The Power', which is available to download from June 3.

'The Only Way Is Essex' Marbella special airdate announced

The Only Way Is Essex Marbella special has been given an airdate.

The summer edition of the reality show, which will see cast members travel to the Spanish holiday destination, will air on ITV2 on Wednesday, June 13 at 10pm.

Titled The Only Way Is Marbs, the episode has been promoted as the "sexiest" ever in five series of TOWIE.

"Those who have been chosen to go to Marbella can't wait," a source said of the special. "The girls have pledged it will [have] lots of bikinis and bare flesh on show.

"There will be a lot of boozy partying and cameras will follow them 24/7 for a week."

However, Lauren Goodger is not expected to make an appearance, as she was suspended from TOWIE over a row with producers when the episode was planned.

The beautician has since been invited back onto the show and has featured in later episodes of series five, which concluded last Sunday (May 27).