BBC Radio 6 Music has issued an apology after a song containing a racial slur was aired during Cerys Matthews’ radio show.
The Welsh singer-songwriter hosts a morning show every Sunday and played a cover of “The Mississippi Shore” by Scottish singer Thomas Fraser during a broadcast on 19 July.
The song’s lyrics include the line: “I can hear them d*****s singing. I can hear the guitars play”.
Listeners soon complained about the song’s offensive content, with some sending messages to Matthews on social media.
In response, Matthews wrote on Twitter: “Checking now – it shouldn’t have passed through of course. It’s a huge priority for me. Thanks for heads up.”
In a follow-up tweet, the presenter continued: “It shouldn’t have got through. Trying to redact it now xx.”
Fraser was a Shetland-based fisherman and country music singer who died due to a sailing accident in 1978. He did not release any music during his lifetime, instead gaining small notoriety through the posthumous release of his personal recordings.
BBC Radio 6 said in a statement: “Unfortunately an unedited version of this song containing an offensive term was broadcast in error on 6 Music.”
“We apologise for any offence caused and will work to ensure this does not happen again.”