Diane Abbott HobNob gag sees BBC show axed

The BBC has tried to avoid another race row by taking one of its current affairs shows offline after Labour MP Diane Abbott was referred to as a chocolate HobNob biscuit.

Taking the biscuit: Neil with Abbott and Portillo

Journalist Andrew Neil, the host of the BBC's current affairs show This Week, opened last week's programme with a joke about Prime Minister Gordon Brown's favourite biscuit.

He then compared his regular panellists as types of biscuit and said: "Here we have our very own chocolate HobNob and custard cream — Diane Abbott and Michael Portillo."

The show was broadcast immediately after BNP leader Nick Griffin's controversial appearance on Question Time. And after only 15 complaints from viewers, BBC bosses immediately pulled the episode of This Week from its website and its on-demand service iPlayer.

A spokesman said: "Andrew's introduction chose two well-known types of biscuit at random but a few viewers have expressed concern that this might have been a reference to race.

"This was certainly not the case and the show would like to reassure them on this point and apologise if any unintentional offence was caused."

But last night the BBC was accused of being "paranoid" and "institutionally politically correct". Tory MP Ann Widdecombe said: "The BBC are totally paranoid about some things and utterly dismissive of other incidents."