Channel 4 has apologised for an error in judgement after broadcasting the word "poofter" during an episode of Countdown.
Contestant Matt Gould had said the word with trepidation in giving his seven-letter answer to a letters round and was duly awarded the points.
The fact that his answer was left in the final edit took even him by surprise, with him telling The Sun: "I apologise for my part in this. I thought it might be edited differently.
"At the time I said 'I have an inappropriate 7 that I know is in the dictionary or a riskier 7 that I'm less sure about'. I thought that bit would be reshot with a non-offensive 7 letter word."
In response, a Channel 4 spokesperson said: "The airing of the word was an error of judgement. It does not align with our values and we apologise for any offence caused."
Countdown is Channel 4's longest-running show, having been on air for almost 40 years.
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