Given the significant number of Newsround reports relating to the forthcoming winter games in Sochi, it is quite disappointing to note that the programme has been almost completely silent about homophobia - and not just in Russia.

The issue is, however, concerning the UK Government, as was clear from a report last night on the BBC's News at Ten.

Huw Edwards on BBC News at Ten

Huw Edwards: The Government is to give extra funding to gay rights groups, including Stonewall, operating in Russia. The Winter Olympics start next Friday in the Russian resort of Sochi. But the hostile attitude of the authorities, including a law against the promotion of homosexuality, has overshadowed much of the lead-up to the games. The BBC has learned that the Culture Secretary is to step up British support for gay campaigners amid concerns that homophobic attacks are increasing. This report by our sports editor, David Bond, does contain some images of violence.

David Bond: It was hardly the sort of day for an outdoor performance of Swan Lake. But these ballet dancers outside the Russian Embassy in West London this morning were part of a demonstration against the law which they say oppresses gay people. Today the minister representing the UK Government in Sochi said they wanted to do more to help those calling for change.

Maria Miller: We're already putting in place additional support to make sure that gay rights organisations have got the sort of support and expertise that I think can make a real difference in the work that they're doing on the ground in Russia.

David Bond: This could be seen as quite incendiary though, couldn't it?

David Bond with Maria Miller -Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Maria Miller: I think it's important that we state very clearly that as a country we believe in freedom of speech. We believe in the importance of universal human rights.

Video of protest being violently suppressed by Russian ОМОН police (Отряд мобильный особого назначения)

David Bond: The British Government is channeling funds and support for protests like this through action groups like Stonewall. Activists in Russia welcomed the UK's move.

Nikolai Bayev: The more countries like the United Kingdom provide us with such support the better our fight against homophobia will be here in Russia.

David Bond's report went on to show extremist video footage posted online of gay people being tortured.

David Bond: The Russian president, Vladimir Putin sees the Sochi games as an opportunity to impose Russia on the world stage, projecting him as a leader of a modern and powerful nation. But the very public debate about gay rights has left many wondering whether Putin's Russia is actually going backwards.

Australian snowboarder, Belle Brockhoff, said she wanted to go to Sochi to show that she wasn't intimidated.

David Bond: All Olympics come with political noise. Sochi has had more than most. And how Russia tackles this question of gay rights will have a big bearing on whether the games are seen as a success.

One of today's main stories on Newsround was about Holocaust Memorial Day.

From the 7.40am bulletin -

Leah: Today people in the UK will remember the six million Jews and other people killed by the German Nazi Party during the second world war. Services are taking place all around the country as part of National Holocaust Memorial Day. And I've been looking at what it means.

Leah explained the significance of Holocaust Memorial Day and talked to two refugees, Henry and Ingrid, who, along with a few thousand other children left Nazi Germany as refugees before the war. Henry and Ingrid spoke of their experiences to kids at a school assembly in South Lanarkshire. And afterwards Newsround interviewed some of the kids -

"It was really eye-opening hearing Ingrid's and Henry's story"

"Quite emotional when you saw how important this was to them, and how they thought it was important to spread the message"

".. it was real life, and real people."

From the 4.20pm bulletin -

Ricky: Services have been taking place across the world today as part of the National Holocaust Day memorial day. It's to remember the six million Jews and other people killed by the German Nazi Party during the second world war, over 70 years ago. Ayshah's been finding out what it all means.

Ayshah: It's never easy to think about World War II, but it's important to understand what happened and make sure it's never forgotten. During the war Germany was ruled by the Nazis - a racist government led by Adolf Hitler. He believed people from certain religions or races were inferior, and wanted to get rid of them. ...

Ayshah said that learning about the terrible things that happened in history can help us try and prevent them from happening again.

Perhaps it would have been a good idea for Newsround to include a bit more about the ideology which led to the terrible events of the Holocaust - the demonisation of certain groups in society, and the failure to stand up to racism and other forms of prejudice.

As expected, last week's TV interviews with President Putin were another propaganda opportunity for Russia and the Sochi winter games. True, quite a lot of time was devoted to questions about gay rights, but Putin's responses weren't challenged. Andrew Marr's repeated talk of the rarity of such interviews came across as deference to Mr Putin, made that much worse by the one-way obsequious pleasantries in their face to face meeting -

Marr: Mr President, very nice to speak to you again. Thank you for that very long discussion.

There followed more of Marr toadying up to Putin and finishing the interview with .... "Thank you very much Mr President (Marr bows and shakes hands with Putin) Thank you. Thank you so much."

Marr bows to President Putin before taking his leave
So a coup for Andrew Marr, then. And Putin would have been pleased, too.

Things haven't been going quite so well for the Sochi winter games sponsors. On 21st January McDonalds tweeted "We’re kicking off a way to send your well wishes to any Olympian today. Are you ready to send your #CheersToSochi?" They included a link to their webpage for sending messages to competing athletes and teams.

But many people around the world are now aware of the human rights abuses in Russia. The #cheerstosochi tag was quickly adopted as a Twitter rallying point to criticise the Sochi Olympic games sponsors. Companies like McDonalds and Coca Cola are now worried that their sponsorship money and investments in Russia will backfire, doing more harm than good.

Recently Newsround has been reporting about the Sochi games on an almost daily basis. However the programme has still not even mentioned the prejudice and discrimination faced by people in Russia, nor the outrage these abuses have caused in the West.

In the UK, LGBT History Month is just a week away.

Yesterday's BBC News included an item about the Winter Olympics, which start in February. The Andrew Marr show, tomorrow, will include Marr's full interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. What we don't know is whether it was the BBC or the Russian authorities primarily behind the meeting, and whether any conditions needed to be met by the BBC before the interview was approved.

Anyone who takes an interest in journalism will know that some interviewers are more tenacious than others in their questioning. What would happen, for example, if an interviewer had concentrated on the fate of Vladislav Tornovoi and other Russians murdered on account of their sexual orientation? Truth is that Marr avoids asking his guests any such awkward questions.

In the excerpt on this webpage Marr tells viewers that Putin "very rarely gives interviews to foreign journalists." We see Mr Marr shake hands with Mr Putin as he says "Nice to see you again."

Andrew Marr has a reputation for giving his subjects an easy time, whilst other journalists like Jeremy Paxman, Andrew Neil and John Humphrys can make their victims' lives quite uncomfortable. George Entwistle found that out to his cost, which probably explains why the current BBC director general, Lord Hall, prefers to stick with the gentler interview style of Jeremy Vine.

Andrew Marr considers whether all the money, risk, and controversy about the Sochi Winter Olympics are really worth it. He says Sochi is "a huge project and a huge gamble, but already one Mr Putin thinks he is winning." With such tame scrutiny by the BBC, that is hardly surprising. Newsround has carried dozens of reports and promotions for this Winter Olympics, but has yet to even mention the dire situation faced by lesbian and gay Russians.

One of the main stories on yesterday's Newsround was about Moshi Monsters, and concerns from a charity that helps those with facial disfigurements. Today at 4.20pm Newsround reported "a row" about an app which an eating disorder charity believes is unsuitable for children.

Ricky: First to a row about apps on smartphones that turn plastic surgery into a game, which a charity has said are dangerous. Players are presented with a figure of a girl and are invited to "fix" her, making her thinner using surgery techniques. Apple and Google have removed a version aimed at kids aged 9 and older, but a very similar version is still available aimed at kids aged 12 and above. And the charity for eating disorders, B-eat told Leah today that's sending a bad message.

Susan Ringwood (from B-eat): We're very concerned about this app because we know how dangerous it can be for young people to feel bad about themselves and their bodies. And we don't see how his app can do anything but add to their insecurities - it's really quite dangerous.

Leah: So in order to get an app onto the app store it does have to be approved. What do you think about that?

Susan Ringwood: We understand that these apps have to be approved before they're put up on these sites, so if this really has gone through an approval process, I don't think it's rigorous enough. I don't think it's taken into account enough of the consequences - the serious consequences - that could come from people having access to this. We're not in favour of people banning things, but they should have a very much more responsible attitude than's been shown here.

The plastic surgery app
Ricky: Well Google told us earlier that they don't comment on individual apps, but will remove apps that breach guidelines. We've asked Apple several times today about whether they feel the plastic surgery game is appropriate for kids to play. But we've heard, so far, nothing back from them.

Plastic surgery game - 'dangerous' says charity

The first news story on both of this morning's Newsround TV bulletins was about a petition to the makers of Moshi Monsters.

Newsround on Tuesday 14th January 2014 at 8.15am -

Leah: First this morning, an image charity is urging people to sign a petition to force the makers of Moshi Monsters to change the name of its evil characters. A group called Changing Faces says names like 'Fish Lips' and 'Freakface' reinforce negative views of people with facial disfigurements like scars, spots or bad eyes. The charity say the fact Moshi Monsters baddies have these traits makes people associate disfigurement with being bad, and could encourage bullying. Moshi makers say they're speaking to the charity, and apologise for any offence caused. Last summer Changing Faces made a similar complaint about Lego.

A new BBC children's interactive game show called Ludus starts next week. CBBC has already screened promos for the show and the accompanying app.

As you will notice from the trailer, supervillain Ludus is quite camp and speaks with a lisp. But Ludus is not the only camp villain on children's TV. Take, for example, Count Dracula on CBBC's Young Dracula series. He is as camp as Christmas. Even cartoons like Pet Squad include camp villains, yet camp hero figures are very few and far between. The thoughtless approach of having facially disfigured villains in Moshi Monsters is not entirely dissimilar to the thoughtless approach of having camp villains on BBC children's TV. Heroes are a diverse lot. We need to see (and hear) them fairly represented by the media.

Moshi Monsters criticised

Was Newsround right not to cover last week's news about Thomas Hitzlsperger coming out?

You don't have to be ashamed of being gay. At least that was the message that came across in the final episode from series 2 of CBBC's Wizards vs Aliens.

It would be great to see that message continue on CBBC in 2014, not just in children's dramas, but also on factual programmes. After all, homophobia is just as much an issue as racism. And prejudice of all types needs to be challenged.

Newsround Blog regulars may recall that, in March 2012 on The Big Questions, Michael Johnson disturbingly appeared to condone homophobia while rightly being vocal in condemning racism. He drew attention to the way racism had affected his seven year old son, who had been called names at school. I suggested that BBC programmes aimed at young people mirror Mr Johnson's stance towards diversity.

Mr Johnson was appointed to the Football Association's Inclusion Advisory Board in December 2013, but it seems the FA were unaware of his previously stated views. Concerns over his appointment appeared in The Guardian and other newspapers and media outlets last week.

The BBC chose not to report the furore, but it has now reported Michael Johnson's decision to step down from the FA's Inclusion Board.

Mr Johnson has said that he no longer holds the homophobic views expressed back in March 2012

Nelson Mandela believed that the character of a society could be judged by the way it treats its children. So how will Britain's main public service broadcaster measure up in 2014?

According to ChildWise, in 2013, more children aged 5-16 watched BBC than CBBC, and the most watched programme amongst that age group was EastEnders. One of the main EastEnders storylines over the Christmas/New Year holiday period dealt with Johnny Carter coming out as gay. To date the story has been reasonably sensitively handled. But, as always with the BBC, that is no guarantee of things to come. In fact EastEnders has been responsible for some incredibly nasty storylines involving LGBT characters.

Bearing in mind the almost total absence of lesbian and gay teen characters on BBC Children's, the Corporation has an even higher duty to ensure that minority is portrayed fairly. Equally important, however, is the need to correct the shortfall. Time will tell. Surveys indicate there are around two people in the UK who don't identify as white for every one person who doesn't identify as heterosexual - 13% and 6.5% respectively. (Office for National Statistics) ... diverse portrayal on BBC Children’s is critically important (pdf). The BBC cite examples of diversity within Newsround's reporting team, as well as a few other CBBC programmes.

There can be few regular viewers to CBBC Newsround who aren't aware of Nelson Mandela's enormous legacy to the world. Four years ago Ore Oduba was sent out to South Africa to set the scene for that country hosting World Cup 2010. His reports informed viewers about the shameful way black people had been treated under the apartheid regime.

Nelson Mandela's recent death and funeral received a great deal of coverage by the BBC. Newsround's Ricky Boleto was just one of the well over a hundred BBC employees dispatched to South Africa to help report on Mandela's legacy. In Mandela's Children Ricky says that for children of all ages Mandela is seen as a true hero.

One fact not widely known in Britain is that South Africa is one of the few countries whose constitution (section 9) specifically bans discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. A result of that equality is that same sex marriage has been legal there for a number of years.

From Mandela's Children -

Ricky: The people of South Africa are about to say their final goodbye to Nelson Mandela - a man who changed their country and the world for the better. But as Nelson Mandela, himself, once said The true character of society can be revealed in the way it treats its children. ...

Happy New Year

The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee heard evidence from Lord Hall and others on 22nd October 2013. An uncorrected transcript of the evidence was published on 29th October 2013, and a there is also a video of the evidence available on the Parliament TV website.

Even though he'd been BBC director general for over six months it seems, from Lord Hall's misleading or untrue responses to the Committee, that he's failed to get to grips with the job. For example he did not appear to know the current target age of BBC children's services . He did not seem to have anything other than the sketchiest knowledge of BBC Switch, nor why it was discontinued, and he did not realise that audiences for Newsround and Blue Peter had, according to the BBC Trust, fallen recently. In fact, Lord Hall told the Committee that audiences for those programmes were growing.

Philip Davies questions BBC director general, Tony Hall
All of this could, perhaps, be forgiven had Lord Hall attempted to correct his mistakes. After all he recently told viewers "we should own up to things we don't get right." I did inform him personally by email and suggested he wouldn't want to mislead Parliament.

I contacted the Committee on 20th November 2013 to ask whether they'd heard from anyone on behalf of the BBC in respect of possible errors given in evidence on 22nd October 2013 by BBC director general, Tony Hall. They replied that they'd received some supplementary evidence from the BBC, which relates to the oral evidence, and a few minor amendments correcting transcription errors. The Committee, I was told, had not received anything else. The supplementary evidence was published on Monday and it's now available on the Committee's website. The misleading information, to which I drew Lord Hall's attention, was not corrected, neither has he answered me personally about the matter.

Another BBC executive not noted for their willingness to correspond with the public is Helen Boaden. Philip Davies developed the argument - based on the Pollard Review and subsequent developments - that Ms Boaden, BBC Director of Radio and formerly Head of News, is unfit to remain in place as a senior director of the BBC. Both Lord Hall and Lord Patten were left floundering, attempting to deflect the argument by defending the Pollard Review which cost licence payers £3million.

Nevertheless, as we saw in my last blog entry, Lord Hall says he's enjoying himself at the BBC and that's sufficient enough for him. He'll almost certainly continue to stay well away from the likes of John Humphrys and Jeremy Paxman. Truth be told Lord Hall is completely out of his depth at the BBC, and his talents are better suited to running an opera house.

Jean Seaton shows scant understanding of the inner workings of the BBC in her recent Guardian article. At the time of Lord Hall's appointment to the director generalship of the BBC, Professor Seaton believed that being a member of the House of Lords was incompatible with his new role.

Ms Seaton starts her Guardian piece by acknowledging the recent criticism of larger-than-necessary payoffs by the HoC Public Accounts Committee. But, in trying to mitigate the damage, she distorts the truth - ironic in view of her association with The Orwell Prize.

Take this example ..

The real question is why did BBC salaries get so large? One issue were (sic) the non-executive directors, appointed from outside on to the executive board. These business people were supposed to be a solution but turned out to be a problem. The philosophy behind their appointment was that people from "outside" brought "commercial" realism to the BBC. But they did not seem to understand the actual business of public service, and they brought with them the 90s and noughties belief in, and casual acceptance of, gross salaries.

Of course the reason these people were brought into salary oversight was precisely because they were thought to be compliant when huge salaries are involved. This is the 'bonus culture' so encouraged by the banks, and enthusiastically embraced by BBC management for so long. People involved, like the Barclays Bank former chairman Marcus Agius, who told the Public Accounts Committee that he was entirely happy signing off on Mark Byford's payoff. He said "After sustained challenge and debate we were finally persuaded that, in the circumstances, it was the right decision on value-for-money grounds."

Ms Seaton seems to suggest that it was some terrible mistake that the executive board led to the excessive payoffs, rather than a much more likely deliberate policy to appoint people thus inclined to be helpful to management. After all, just think how few other people would have such an attitude. So it's not only the outside directors who didn't understand 'public service' but, more significantly, BBC management itself. Naturally Mark Thompson and Mr Agius continue to maintain the payoffs were justified completely. However the Public Accounts Committee concluded:

.. It is unacceptable for the BBC, or any other public body, to give departing senior managers huge severance payments that far exceed their contractual entitlements. .. Some of the justifications put forward by the BBC were extraordinary. For example, the former Director General, Mark Thompson, claimed that it was necessary to pay his former deputy and long-term colleague Mark Byford an extra £300,000, not because the BBC was obliged to, but to keep Mr Byford "fully focused" instead of "taking calls from head hunters". This increased Mr Byford's severance payment to more than £1 million.

The PAC went on to say that there was a failure at the most senior levels of the BBC to challenge the actual payments and prevailing culture, in which cronyism was a factor that allowed for the liberal use of other people's money. So the question arises as to what changes to the BBC's ethos will Lord Hall make? The omens are not good.

On 1st December 2011, both Nel & Hayley wore red ribbons on the 5pm edition of Newsround to mark World AIDS day. However, Graham Norton was censured very recently for wearing just such a ribbon. The BBC received numerous complaints that the Corporation was applying double standards. Some even suspect that homophobia accounts for the way Norton has been treated, especially as all his guests were wearing ribbons.

Hundreds of people wrote directly to Lord Hall, but despite a growing chorus of criticism Hall has shown a pathetic lack of concern. Last month he told BBC viewers: "I'm enjoying myself at the moment, and that's sufficient enough for me"


Tony Hall speaking to Jeremy Vine on Points of View last month

Newsround's final TV bulletin of 2013 (yesterday 4.20pm) ended with each of the programme's six presenters choosing a story that stood out for them in 2013.

Newsround presenters (L to R) Ayshah, Nel, Leah, Ricky, Jenny, Martin

For Leah it was the children rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Leah's fiancé, Ricky, then chose the horsemeat scandal. Next was Jenny, who reminded viewers of Ruben's reports about fair treatment for kids with Down's Syndrome. Nel's choice was smartphones which allow you to smell texts. Ayshah liked interviewing Chris Hadfield, the singing spaceman. Last up was Martin, whose choice was a story about an owl with work experience.

The final episode from Wizards vs Aliens received almost universal praise on social media for the way it handled Benny coming out as gay. Towards the end of the programme Tom suggests he could use his enhanced magic to "change" Benny and make him happy. Benny, though, says he is happy the way he is.

The BBC has frequently faced criticism that it is biased against LGBT people, not least from Newsround Blog itself. Others disagree and claim the corporation is not homophobic. Wizards vs Aliens would seem to suggest the latter point of view is correct ...

However, the BBC makes loads of children's TV programmes each year, and this excerpt from Dani's Castle, first shown on Friday, is far more typical of the CBBC channel. In fact, the previous time there were young gay characters on CBBC was over eight years ago. So we await proportionate representation - a third series of Wizards vs Aliens in which Benny kisses a boyfriend in the way Tom kissed Chloe, or perhaps completely new CBBC series ideas where some of the protagonists are lesbian or gay.

The second series of Wizards vs Aliens concluded yesterday with somewhat of a surprise - and I'm not referring to wizards winning an all out war with the aliens. No, the big surprise, for many, was that Benny has come out as gay to his best friend Tom Clarke. There's no denying that the relevant scene was very sensitively written and acted; though, as it happens, the word "gay" was never actually spoken.

Tom tells Benny that they need to save the world in order that Benny can go on his very first date. They win the war, and save the world. So the big question becomes whether or not we'll see any more of Benny. Will we ever see him go on his first date?

That was the last episode of the current series, and no decision has yet been made about the commissioning of a third series.

Benny coming out as gay might seem like groundbreaking children's television but, surprising as it may seem to those unfamiliar with Newsround Blog, gay characters first appeared on kids' TV more than twenty years ago. And although Benny has yet to go on his gay date, kids actually saw teens coming out and dating in the past, before programmes like Byker Grove and Grange Hill were axed.

The reality, then, is that children's TV has just recently been playing catch-up, and there's no guarantee that it'll continue to do so. There is no room for complacency. Furthermore, lesbians have been even more poorly represented on TV than their male counterparts.

Tom Daley was the first guest to be interviewed on last night's Jonathan Ross Show. Thankfully Ross has moved away completely from the undercurrent of homophobia on his old BBC show. The Tom Daley interview, which was well received by the Radio Times and on Twitter, was recorded a few days ago, after Tom came out via YouTube.

Tom Daley on ITV's Jonathan Ross Show
Excerpt from the chat show -

Tom Daley: When you're growing up you may always have those kind of thoughts, but you think no, it can't be right. I felt like there was something wrong with me. I didn't know other people out there felt that way. I didn't know it was something that people, like, do - I just literally felt so alone and I felt so locked away, like I couldn't say anything. I couldn't be who I wanted to be. From Monday I felt like I could just be myself.

A bit later in the interview Ross told Tom that he'd become very much a role model. Ross continued "Whether you're aware of this or not, I think you will find you've become a very important figure to a lot of people."

Tom Daley, like thousands of kids, was bullied and felt isolated because of prejudice in society. Schools and the media, especially children's TV, could do so much more to change things.

Below is another Tom - Tom Clarke - from Wizards vs Aliens:-


Tom Clarke falls for Chloe on CBBC's Wizards vs Aliens
Now, as far as we know, Tom only fancies girls. And Tom is typical of every teen character currently portrayed on BBC children's TV - not one of them is seen in a lesbian or gay relationship. This kind of homophobic discrimination must not be allowed to continue.

Full marks go to CBBC Newsround for their reporting of Tom Daley coming out on Monday. The story appeared on their website early that afternoon and it was reported as third story on both the 4.20pm and the 6.50pm bulletins.

Newsround's coverage was just right, not making a huge deal of Tom's announcement, but at the same time not minimising the significance and problems faced by other LGBT people. The short clip from Tom's YouTube video cut to the chase by avoiding unnecessary explanations and extraneous details.

One thing clear, even from that short clip, is that 19-year-old Tom was quite embarrassed to reveal he was in a relationship with another man. But should we be surprised? After all we know that Tom was bullied at school and that the bullying got so bad that he was eventually forced to change schools.

Tom Daley reveals he's dating a guy
Like thousands of other schoolchildren in Britain, Tom would have heard 'gay' being used in pejorative contexts on an almost daily basis. Some of that negativity is bound to rub off and scar. Such insidious language urgently needs to be tackled in Britain's primary and secondary schools. And luckily there are now some teachers, celebrities and organisations leading the way.

Eliminating homophobic prejudice, though, isn't only about raising awareness of offensive and hurtful language. It's also about inclusion for all - making everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, feel wanted and valuable members of society. In recent times that's something children's TV has not done well. There was a session devoted to this topic at this year's Children's Media Conference, though whether any media companies have followed up with plans for inclusive programmes is a completely different matter. CBBC is one of the Conference sponsors, so I have asked CBBC's media people about any plans they may have for including relevant teen protagonists/role models in their drama. Waiting to hear back.

Newsround reports on Tom Daley coming out

This was the third story on Newsround at 4.20pm yesterday -

Newsround report about Tom Daley coming out
Leah: Fellow sports stars and swimming officials have given their support to diver Tom Daley after he revealed he's got a boyfriend. It's being seen as a big step because some athletes have said it's difficult for high profile stars to be openly gay. The Olympic bronze medalist posted a video online announcing the news. He says he couldn't be happier.

brief clip from Tom Daley's YouTube announcement followed
Tom Daley: I met someone and they make me feel so happy, so safe, and everything just feels great. And well that someone ... is a guy.


A very similar report (again the third story) on the 6.50pm bulletin -

Leah: Sports stars and swimming bosses have given their support to diver Tom Daley today after he revealed he's got a boyfriend. It's being seen as a big step because some athletes have said it's difficult for high profile stars to be openly gay. Tom posted a video online announcing the news. He says he couldn't be happier.

brief clip from Tom Daley's YouTube announcement followed
Tom Daley: I met someone and they make me feel so happy, so safe, and everything just feels great. And well that someone ... is a guy.


The news story is also on Newsround's website.

Viewers who rely entirely on CBBC Newsround for gossip about what's happening on the X Factor will be completely unaware of the recent off the rails behaviour of last year's winner, James Arthur. Fortunately there are other sources of information including, of course, Newsround Blog.

James Arthur sang on last night's X Factor results programme and afterwards spoke to presenter Dermot O'Leary.

Dermot O'Leary clapped Mr Arthur's performance of 'Recovery' and exclaimed "JAMES ARTHUR, EVERYONE!" Then he spoke to Mr Arthur -

Dermot O'Leary seeks contrition from James Arthur - (ITV1 on 1st Dec 2013)

Dermot: New single from the album out now. It's been quite a year for you, young man, in particular the last couple of weeks.

James: Yeah, erm y'know it's been an amazing year for me. It's been incredible highs, paired with some terrible lows. Y'know I've made a few very st .. erm silly mistakes but I just want to thank all the people that have stuck with me and supported me. I wanna thank the X Factor for giving me the opportunity to do my ... (audience cheer) Above all I want to say sorry for abusing my position as an X Factor winner, because, you know, I owe everything to this thing, so thank you very much. (more cheering)

Dermot: So, chamomile tea and early to bed from now on, is it?

James: How d'you know I was on the chamomile tea? Yeah I love chamomile tea now - it's very calming.

Dermot: Alright mate, listen it's great to have you with us. Thanks so much. Give it up for the one and only JAMES ARTHUR! (audience cheers)

James Arthur has been in the news recently and, once again, it's not for good reasons. Shortly after his interview for Newsround Mr Arthur became involved in a Twitter spat, to which he responded with a rap track which included offensive homophobic language aimed at his rival.

Reacting to the outrage, on 16th November Mr Arthur tweeted a series of confused excuses/explanations/apologies, before tweeting -

#LOVE to my fans but I'm coming off twitter for good. HQ will be doing all my tweets from now on. PEACE!

More odd behaviour ensued, including another spat, this time with fellow X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan.

On 22nd November James Arthur HQ tweeted that James had been diagnosed with "acute exhaustion" and been instructed to rest for several days by his doctor.

Of course, had James Arthur used offensive language in a racist context his career would be over by now - he'd be a pariah, and not at all welcome on any family entertainment show.

But things are quite different in the TV/showbiz/media world. It should come as no surprise to learn that Mr Arthur, despite his "acute exhaustion," is already preparing to appear on X Factor again this weekend.

Can we expect a full and unreserved apology when James Arthur appears on the show? Simon Cowell wouldn't hear of it.

Whatever happens with James Arthur at the weekend, don't expect anything about the controversy to get reported on Newsround.