‘Too racy for television’: Sonia Kruger’s comment to Nikki Osborne that led to floods of complaints

Have we gone too PC? Many Aussies certainly seem to think so after a recent on-air exchange sparked fury.

If you want something bland, you take the spice out of it, and this is exactly what’s happening to free-to-air television. Recently when I was on Dancing With The Stars, I was having banter with host Sonia Kruger.

At the time, I was laden in green foliage as I was playing Poison Ivy.

Many a pun had been made between the two of us and then Sonia referenced my need to trim my bush. We had a giggle and then pressed on with my woeful scores.

Does the great Aussie dream even exist any more or is it gone?

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The next morning my Insta feed was flooded with commentary about how upset everyone was on my behalf and many an article had gone to print on how Sonia’s humour was too racy for television and how Seven should make emergency “edits” for the next episode. Pfft.

Was she a bit racy?! Yes she was and THANK GOODNESS for that.

While I appreciate the fun police were on patrol on my behalf, I really didn’t ask for it and I certainly didn’t want it.

We all hark back to the golden era of television, with Hey, Hey and Graham Kennedy and the absolute chaos that would ensue in the years before social media.

Dancing With The Stars Chris Brown and Sonia Kruger. Picture: Stu Bryce

The most inappropriate things would often slip out and everyone would choke on their cornflakes but it would more often than not make for great water cooler conversation the next day and also it felt like we were still alive!

Nowadays, with the advent of social media and the network’s accessibility to the angry thumbs of thousands of bored and unhinged individuals, we are witnessing those who rely on free-to-air television for their entertainment, killing free-to-air television. Stop biting the hand that feeds.

The free-to-air TV networks are already trying to fight a battle with one hand tied behind their backs!

They have to adhere to the strict Australian Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, and heaven forbid should they ever waiver from it, the keyboard warriors will be queuing up to take them to task – my banter on Dancing With The Stars the other night being a prime example!

Nikki Osborne

The subscription services, on the other hand, with their conveyor belt of ever racier and edgy content seem to be getting a free run. Now, full disclosure here, my knowledge of the ins and outs of TV regulations are pretty hazy, but hear me out.

If you pay to watch the latest bingeworthy new show on a subscription service and find yourself confronted by something way out of your comfort zone, are you less likely to complain? You paid for it so that implies that you knew what you were buying, so suck it up, princess!

I reckon we need to go easier on the TV networks, at least make it a fair fight. If we don’t what’s the result? Television so watered down it makes the ads seem hard hitting. Stop it! You’re taking the fun out of it! Think about the alternative, we may have no TV left – well not free anyway – to complain about!

Plus, I’m also a little bit racy and I’d like to think I could still find a home as a host on a network television, however, at the rate we’re going I might lose the spot to a nun!

For a while there when political correctness went a little overboard, it was certainly the case of “the tail wagging the dog”. Execs were scrambling to appease the noisy minority. However, it feels like TV is starting to get its wag back and I, for one, will defend it. So I say: “Good on you, Sonia, keep ’em’ coming.”

Originally published as ‘Too racy for television’: Sonia Kruger’s comment to Nikki Osborne that led to floods of complaints