TV 3 recieved a barrage of compaings over “graphic comments” by gay celebrity, Brian Dowling on the channel’s Christmas Toy Show

TV3 aired their Christmas Toy Show last Friday and included former Big Brother winner Brian Dowling demonstrating the popular toy, Action Man. Dowling received a number of complaints from the audience for being too graphic and using homoerotic undertones.

He told the host, Brian McFadden, of his own childhood experiences with Action Man and why he loved him so much:

“There were different types of Action Man, he’d be naked Action Man, he’d be topless Action Man, he’d have no trousers on Action Man, and then one time he was a cross-dresser because he’d try to wear Barbie’s clothes and then I started liking Barbies and the rest is kind of obvious.”

One viewer complained that it was “not appropriate for a young audience, particularly noting it was a pre-recorded piece and not live”.

A rep from TV3 stated: “It was not TV3’s intention to cause any offence and we wish to apologise to viewers if they were offended by the clip.”

Due to the complaints, the channel cut Dowling’s segment from the Sunday afternoon repeat.

Other complaints were registered with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, which were then referred to TV3.

TV3 said an average of 472,100 viewers watched the festive toy show on Friday night.