BBC removes blackface and other sketches from That Mitchell and Webb Look on iPlayer

That Mitchell and Webb Look was recently restored to BBC iPlayer to mark the show’s 20th anniversary, but users quickly noticed that several sketches were missing. Deadline reports that Reddit users flagged the deletions, with the outlet saying as many as 11 sketches have been expunged from the BBC Studios-produced series starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The broadcaster said the selection reflected a decision to include only the sketches that "still work today" after consulting with the programme makers.

Among the cuts are sketches that involve racialised material. One deleted sketch parodied English Civil War reenactors who pivot into recreating a modern conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the characters debating whether their performance had crossed into racism and stopping the scene when it became offensive. Another removed sketch, which involved Webb and Olivia Colman in a makeover parody, ended with a reveal involving Mitchell in blackface. Deadline’s summary identifies these as among the pieces omitted from the iPlayer lineup.

A BBC spokesperson told Deadline: "That Mitchell and Webb Look has been made available on BBC iPlayer. This is a 20-year-old sketch show; in consultation with the programme makers, we have included the ones that still work today and not the ones that don’t." The spokesperson framed the reinstatement and the curation choices as a selective return of material judged acceptable for contemporary audiences.