Gordon Ramsay has come under fire for showing a rabbit having its neck broken on his Channel 4 show, The F Word.

The chef was shown using ferrets to hunt for the creatures with his son before viewers saw the rabbit being killed.

Animal lovers have attacked the programme for showing footage of the death.

It comes less than a week after Ramsay claimed his eight-year-old son had accidentally pulled off a live rabbit's head during the same expedition.

Those comments and Tuesday night's show - which did not feature the incident involving his son - have provoked 'outrage' at Ramsay's behaviour.

The rabbit that was shown being killed on screen was put to death by one of the men who owned the ferrets. RSPCA officers have received calls from viewers expressing their concern about the episode. But the organisation said no laws had been broken.

A Channel 4 spokesman said: As part of the current series of Gordon Ramsay's F Word, Gordon features in a regular strand in which he sources and cooks new or unusual ingredients.

Within this strand he explored the viability of finding, hunting and eating wild rabbit, historically a widely-consumed food but no longer part of a mainstream diet.

The location of the shoot was private land where rabbits cause extensive damage. In this context Department for the Environment guidelines were being followed and control measures - including ferreting - legal and in place."

Gordon Ramsay has wound up the nutters with his puffin-hunting scene in a recent  F-Word TV programme.

He travelled to Iceland to engage in some 'sky fishing', involving catching the cute little birds with an oversized butterfly net.

When Ramsay eventually managed to catch a puffin, after three hours, a hunter snapped the bird's neck.

Other scenes included the Michelin chef eating the dead bird's heart -- raw. He also rustled up a barbecued puffin with cucumber salad, describing the taste as a bit like liver.

The UK media watchdog Ofcom is investigating the episode, after several complaints from viewers.

Puffins are protected in the UK and Ireland but in Iceland licences are granted to cull them. Ramsay claimed he had a licence to kill up to 1,000 puffins.

The F Word
Channel 4, 29 July 2008, 21:00

The F Word is a food and cookery programme presented by the chef Gordon Ramsay. During the broadcast on 29 July 2008 an item was transmitted which showed Gordon Ramsay in Iceland ‘sky fishing' for puffins and then eating them, which included the local tradition of eating the bird's heart when it has been freshly killed.

Ofcom received 42 complaints that the practice of killing puffins was cruel, the eating of their fresh hearts was offensive, and that, whilst not protected, puffins were a species under threat.

Ofcom considered the programme with regard to Rule 2.3 of the Code which requires that in applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context.

Ofcom Decision

In this edition of the programme, Gordon Ramsay visited Iceland where puffins are commonly eaten. He was taught how to hunt puffins in a traditional Icelandic manner using a large net to ‘fish' the birds out of the sky. He caught six puffins in total. After releasing two, his companion swiftly broke the necks of the remaining four puffins and skinned them, taking out the puffins' hearts to eat as a special Icelandic delicacy.

In considering Rule 2.3, Ofcom noted that The F Word has historically contained programme items featuring the rearing, hunting and/or killing of a variety of animals for food. These items have at times included animals which are not usually eaten in the UK and for which there can be a particular affection amongst some members of the audience. Viewers should therefore have been prepared to some extent for an item similar to the one complained of.

Ofcom also noted that the programme began at 21:00, and that a verbal warning about the killing and gutting of birds was broadcast around 21:45 (Coming up, the puffin hunt continues with scenes of killing and gutting birds) immediately before the section showing these images.

Ofcom acknowledges that in this country some members of the public may consider that the capture of puffins for human consumption is unacceptable and consequently distressing. However, the sequence featuring Gordon Ramsay occurred in Iceland where it is not a protected species, where it comprises a popular part of the national diet and, as the programme informed viewers, is …a traditional food that has been hunted for centuries… In addition, Ofcom noted that the birds were caught and killed in what appeared to be a fast and humane way with minimal suffering.

Ofcom appreciates the concerns of viewers who were unhappy that puffins should be caught and eaten in this way. It does not, however, consider that this item went beyond the general expectations of the audience for this post-watershed food and cookery programme, which has consistently challenged conventions in the UK about the acceptability of various foods and ingredients from around the world.

Ofcom therefore concluded that Rule 2.3 was not breached.

The Mirror is reporting about viewers fury at 312 swear words in 103 mins including Gordon Ramsay's 240 used of 'fuck'

Viewers were said to have flooded Channel 4 with complaints after Friday's Gordon's Great British Nightmare.

And it all came on the same day the fiery chef promised not to swear on the US version of his live cookalong show for fear of upsetting American viewers.

Ramsay's show on Friday drew three million viewers and went out just after the 9pm watershed with a warning about strong language.

Labour MP Denis MacShane said: Gordon Ramsay might be a good chef, but he is a terrible role model to every child and adolescent in Britain. He is giving two-fingers to people who care about the English language. Channel 4 should give Britain a break from this foul-mouthed soup-stirrer. This is a clear breach of Ofcom's rules on swearing and it should launch an investigation into the programme immediately.

Lib-Dem MP Don Foster said: This is getting beyond a joke. When you hear about this much swearing in a single programme, you're tempted to utter an expletive yourself. We have got to tone it down because bad language on TV is seeping into society.

An Ofcom spokesman said they were unable to comment on complaints received over the weekend until next week.

A Channel 4 spokesman said: Gordon Ramsay is a well-known TV personality and viewers know what to expect. The swearing was a genuine expression of his passion and frustration.

Perhaps Gordon Ramsey should try his hand at sorting out failing morality campaigns

Beyer's predictably jumped on the Gordon Ramsey bandwagon:

Gordon Ramsey is apparently in record breaking form after swearing 243 times in one show.His guests took the total to 312 expletives.

Friday night's programme broke the record for the most swearwords in a TV show set by the comic Paul Kaye in 2007. Ramsay used the F-word 187 times in his programme that ran for 103 minutes.

Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister, has led calls for Ramsay to be sacked: Anybody who swears that much on a cooking show must be fired. Most people were already fed up with him. This is the final straw. Just how far does he have to go before Channel 4 bosses accept that he has caused real and genuine offence and broken all acceptable boundaries of good taste? What is their limit?

Mediawatch director John Beyer went one step further and called for Channel 4 to be sacked. He said: This is a serious political issue. Ramsay's behaviour was unacceptable and Channel 4 is ultimately responsible for it. They know what he is like and it's completely wrong for them to let this go when it has caused so much offence.

The channel's whole remit as a public service broadcaster needs to be investigated by the Government if it refuses to take on board the concerns of viewers and politicians.

Channel 4, which received 69 complaints from viewers, said no action would be taken against Ramsay. A spokesman said: He is a well-known TV personality and viewers know what to expect when watching these programmes. This was an extended two-hour programme shown after the watershed and preceded by an on-air warning about its content. The swearing is a genuine expression of Gordon's passion and frustration.

Ramsays Great British Nightmare
Channel 4, 30 January 2009, 21:00 - 23:00

Ramsay’s Great British Nightmare follows the chef, Gordon Ramsay, as he takes on failing restaurants and attempts to turn them around. He tackles amongst other things, poor management, inferior cooking and unacceptable levels of hygiene.

Ofcom received 51 complaints from viewers about the programme broadcast on 30 January 2009 from 21:00. They objected to the frequency and sustained nature of the use of the most offensive language (i.e . “fuck”, “fucking” and “fucked”).

Ofcom noted that the first two parts of the programme, broadcast between 21:00 and 21:40, contained 115 instances of the most offensive language.

Ofcom considered Rule 2.3 of the Code (offensive content must be justified by context).

Ofcom Decision: Breach of Rule 2.3

In assessing the wider context of this programme, Ofcom noted that:

• the channel provided pre-transmission information about the level of language in the programme: “strong language from the start and throughout”
• this was a two hour programme compared to the usual one hour
• the contributors as well as Gordon Ramsay used the most offensive language;
• offensive language was often used at times of emotion and stress which typifies the series as a whole.
• The likely audience expectation for this programme

Ofcom recognised that Ramsay’s Great British Nightmare differed slightly from the usual Kitchen Nightmares strand in as much as it was a two hour special featuring not one but two failing restaurants. The result was that parts one and two of the programme where Gordon Ramsay traditionally gives his unvarnished opinion - and which often results in confrontation - was twice as long. As a consequence this amplified significantly the effect of the language on the viewer.

Given the programme’s well-established reputation for using the most offensive language, Ofcom accepts that the vast majority of the audience comes to the programme with certain expectations. However, on this occasion there were 115 examples of the most offensive language i.e. “fuck” and its derivatives, in the first 40 minutes of the programme. In the first 15 minutes there were a total of 37 examples. The second part of the programme, between 21:20 and 21:40, contained a further 78 examples. Ofcom also noted that much of the offensive language was delivered in an extremely intense and at times aggressive manner. The most aggressive scene, which Channel 4 admits contributed to the overall tally of strong language in the programme, occurred in part two of the programme where, at approximately 21:30, a restaurant chef angrily berated his boss shouting the word “fucking” at him 30 times in less than two minutes.

The broadcaster and the audience has a right to freedom of expression. Importantly, the programme purports to show real life situations and record them as they unfold. (However, we note that in the acquired American version of this programme Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA, the level of strong language is considerably less, but in very similar intense circumstances). As Channel 4 points out the audience expects to see the drama and conflict played out before some form of resolution is reached. Therefore, to limit completely the transmission of a programme such as this would be a disproportionate restriction and could result in a chilling effect on broadcasters’ output. Nevertheless, freedom of expression may be limited and should at all times be balanced by the requirement on the part of the broadcaster to apply generally accepted standards to ensure adequate protection for members of the public from offensive material. In Ofcom’s view, by broadcasting this particular programme at this time after the watershed, Channel 4 did not apply generally accepted standards. This is due to the unexpected and sheer intensity and level of swearing in the first two parts of the programme. The strong language had not been used as a comedic device or as part of a characterisation but was at times extremely aggressive and, as described by complainants, “gratuitous” and “unreal”. Ofcom therefore concluded that it was not warranted since there was not sufficient editorial justification or context in this programme for the level and intensity of swearing in the first two parts of the programme, transmitted between 21:00 and 21:40.

The audience has a good understanding that as the evening progresses the context changes and material is likely to become more challenging and may contain frequent and strong language. However, where viewers have established expectations for a particular programme, at a particular time, broadcasters should carefully consider the impact of any significant editorial changes which may subsequently challenge those expectations. It was clear to Ofcom that the frequency and nature of the most offensive language in the earlier parts of this programme and at the time it was broadcast deviated seriously and significantly from previous editions, because this was the first time Channel 4 had broadcast a two hour edition of Ramsay’s Great British Nightmare, starting at 21:00. As a direct consequence the scale, frequency and way in which the most offensive language was delivered in the first two parts of this programme, went significantly beyond what could be reasonably anticipated by regular viewers - at this time of the evening – and resulted in a breach of the Code.

Gordon Ramsay has cut the strong language on his new series by 90%.

In the first episode of his new series of The F Word, he swore nine times, including six 'fucks'. Swearing guests took the total expletives to 12.

One viewer said: It's like he had Tourette's and they found a miracle cure. He's obviously been told to cut down his swearing.

But Tuesday's The F Word attracted just 1.8m viewers - half the number it got last summer.

Gordon Ramsay has vowed to cut out the strong language.

He reckons that at 43 he's now too old for the four-letter tirades. The cocky chef has also decided to ease up on bullying the owners of dodgy diners on screen.

Gordon said he counted 298 'fucks' when two episodes of Kitchen Nightmares were condensed into one last year. He said: I wasn't proud of that. There has come a time when I'm getting a bit tired of the foul-mouthed bully chef.

But Gordon admitted he won't be able to axe the F-words completely and turn into a touchy-feely chef.

Gordon's long-standing cooking colleague and Hell's Kitchen star Angela Hartnett urged him to soften his image. She said: People don't like the aggression so much. They no longer want to see him or Simon Cowell make people cry.