Nabil Abdulrashid: Ofcom rejects 3,000 Britain's Got Talent complaints

Nabil Abdulrashid joked that he had "kept workers at Ofcom from being made redundant"

More than 3,000 complaints about comedian Nabil Abdulrashid's routines on Britain's Got Talent have been rejected by media watchdog Ofcom.

Abdulrashid's jokes about race and religion took him to the final.

Ofcom said it took freedom of expression into account when deciding not to launch an investigation.

"The comedian's satirical take on his life experiences as a black Muslim was likely to have been within audience expectations," a spokesperson said.

Almost 1,000 people complained about Abdulrashid's performance in the semi-final on 3 October, in which he joked about police treatment of black people, and about what "angry far-right guys" would think about someone joking about being black and Muslim.

"We just tell jokes about our lives because they matter - right?" the Croydon comic said.

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Another 2,200 complained about the final on 10 October, when he laughed off the "snowflakes" who had objected to the previous week's routine.

"They complained because we said black lives matter - thousands of complaints," he said. "To be honest I'm shocked that many of them know how to write.

"They sent in thousands of angry letters. Hopefully if I annoy them today they can progress onto words."

He also joked that Winston Churchill was black, because "when was the last time you met a white man called Winston?" and "What colour is his statue? Eh?"

And Abdulrashid suggested ITV should have had a different response to the 24,500 people who complained about dance troupe Diversity's Black Lives Matter-inspired performance in September.

"I would have sent an email to everyone who complained. It would just say: 'We understand you viewers are offended. But all viewers matter.' Let's see how they like it then."

Responding to the number of complaints on Twitter, he joked: "I'm just happy I've kept workers at Ofcom from being made redundant. I'm a hero and should be appreciated for my contribution to the economy. @Ofcom you're welcome."