BBC East Africa came under fire after viewers noticed that an interview clip featuring Nairobi Diaries actress Glamour Pam had been blurred. The reaction followed a BBC segment published on 20 November 2018, in which the actress appeared on The She Word wearing a revealing dress.
According to the backlash online, fans were unhappy that the station chose not to show Pam’s cleavage in the broadcast. The criticism centred on the decision to alter the footage rather than air the interview as recorded.
BBC said the edit was made because the programme had to meet watershed requirements in the markets where it would be shown. In its explanation, the broadcaster said: “#thesheword is broadcast via a number of BBC partner stations in Africa which are subject to watershed rules similar to the UK’s. As the majority of our partner stations show the programme pre-watershed, we ensured the film was suitable for broadcast in those markets.”
Pam was featured in a documentary titled Fake me: Living for likes. The controversy placed BBC East Africa’s editorial choices under scrutiny as the clip circulated among viewers.
