BBC Radio Ulster ‘considering best approach’ to Fairytale of New York song

Due to some of the lyrics which its younger listeners may find offensive, Radio One announced it would be playing an edited version of the 1987 Christmas hit by Shane MacGowan and the late Kirsty MacColl.

BBC Radio 2 will continue to play the original while on 6 Music, DJs can choose themselves which version to play.

In regards to the Fairytale of New York on BBC Radio Ulster, a BBC NI spokesperson said: “We are considering the best approach to take.”

Pogues’ singer MacGowan defended the song – which includes the insults ‘slut’ and faggot’ – in 2018, saying: “The word (faggot) was used by the character because it fitted with the way she would speak and with her character. She is not supposed to be a nice person, or even a wholesome person.

“She is a woman of a certain generation at a certain time in history, and she is down on her luck and desperate. Her dialogue is as accurate as I could make it, but she is not intended to offend.

“She is just supposed to be an authentic character and not all characters in songs and stories are angels or even decent and respectable. Sometimes characters in songs and stories have to be evil or nasty in order to tell the story effectively.”