BBC DJ suspended following on air rant about how public breastfeeding must stop
The BBC has suspended one of its radio DJ’s who said on-air that breastfeeding in public was “unnatural” and “must be stopped”.
Radio Solent DJ Alex Dyke was the source of complaints from listeners who launched a petition calling for him to be sacked following his comments during a phone-in on his Wednesday morning show.
During his rant Dyke said that only “librarian-type, moustachioed” women breastfed in public and men who were not repelled by breastfeeding were “wimps”.
He added that said “yummie mummies” wouldn’t feed their children in public because they “know it is not a good look” and “formula milk is just as good”.
The radio presenter attempted to defend his comments about a mother breastfeeding her child on a bus to another caller saying that “fat chavvy mums with their boobs out on buses isn’t a good look. A classy discreet mum is absolutely fine.”
He further antagonised listeners when he said that it “was ok in the stone age when we knew no better, when people didn’t have their own teeth … but now I just think a public area is not the place for it and fellas don’t like it.”
Listeners quickly made their feelings known and a petition calling for him to be taken off air had garnered more than 6,000 signatures by Thursday. The number of signatures is even more significant in light of the fact that the show is only broadcast to a small audience in parts of Hampshire and Dorset.
During his Thursday morning show, Dyke issued an apology. “Yesterday on the show I spoke about breastfeeding,” he said. “The comments I made during the broadcast were unacceptable and I would like to apologise for any offence caused.”
Ofcom confirmed it had received 14 complaints and had requested a recording of the show to decide whether it will investigate.