BBFC Backtracks On 'Sexual References' In Paddington

The BBFC has decided to tone down its description of ‘Paddington’, after the bear’s creator Michael Bond displayed concern over its decision to warn audiences of ‘mild sex references’ in the movie.

It’s now replaced the phrase with ‘innuendo’ and has also clarified which part of the film the references refers to.

- Nativity 3 director slates ‘disgusting’ critics
- Bizarre Willow And Jaden Smith Interview
- Paddington Creator Upset By PG Rating

Previously its advice stated that the movie features ‘dangerous behaviour, mild threat, mild sex references (and) bad language’.

The decision caused dismay from Bond, who told the Daily Mail that he was ‘totally amazed’ by the decision to give the film a PG rating.

Bond, who appears in a small cameo in the movie but was not consulted on the script added that if there was ‘mild swearing’ in the film, ‘I’d be very upset. I might not sleep well tonight. I can’t imagine what the sex references are. It doesn’t enter into it with the books, certainly’.

It’s now clarified that the mild bad language – thanks to ‘a single mumbled use of ‘bloody’ – is ‘infrequent’, while ‘mild sex references’ has been downgraded to ‘innuendo’.

According to reports, the incident in question refers to a comic sequence during which Hugh Bonneville, who plays Mr Brown, the patriarch of the family which finds Paddington, dresses up as a cleaning lady and is then flirted with by a security guard.

Meanwhile, the ‘dangerous behaviour’ the Peruvian bear gets up to involves hiding in a fridge, and skateboarding while holding on to bus – both of which probably are a bit dangerous.

'Mild threat' refers to Nicole Kidman's character Millicent, who at one point threatens to kill and stuff the bear.

Bonneville told the BBC of the furore, which emerged yesterday: “I was scratching my head thinking ‘what are the censors talking about?’

“There were four and five year olds watching it the other day laughing uproariously, so I don’t think it’s going to damage any young children - or indeed any 75 year olds.”

Paul King, who directed the film added that he wasn’t shocked the film received a PG rating rather than a U.

“I’m not surprised about that but I don’t think it’s a PG for sexiness. That I would find very odd,” he said.

The film, which stars Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington alongside Bonneville, Kidman, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters and Peter Capaldi, is released across the UK on November 28.

- Star Wars 7 Trailer Description
- Best Cumberbatch Moments
- Johnny Depp’s Slurry Awards Speech