Iggy Pop: ‘one of the wildest men in rock music’, said the BBC . Photo: Rosie Greenway/Getty Ofcom has upheld complaints against the BBC’s coverage of the Glastonbury music festival, after rock singer Iggy Pop used a racist term during a live interview. Two viewers complained after the performer used the phrase “paki shop” in an anecdote about an incident in Camden 30 years ago during a live BBC2 interview with presenter Jo Whiley in the early hours of June 24.

The BBC acknowledged that the term was offensive and said it regretted that a “compliance lapse” had occurred. However, it said that Pop was “one of the wildest men in rock music” and as such had a “built-in content advisory warning” and that as an American he was “probably unaware” the term had now passed out of “polite usage”. The corporation added that producers had realised he should have apologised at the time and it subsequently issued an apology.

Ofcom said that even though the use of the term was not intended to be pejorative, its use was still offensive and the BBC had failed in its responsibility by not issuing an apology as soon as possible after the incident. Meanwhile, three complaints about “violent and menacing” scenes at the start of ITV1 drama Wire in the Blood at 9pm on July 18 were also upheld.

ITV said the scenes, which featured a distressed man who was tied to a chair urinating in his trousers after another man swung at him with a machete, were “dark and menacing” rather than a graphic portrayal of violence and that a viewer information announcement had been made before the programme. However, Ofcom said it thought the scene was too long and violent for 9pm. To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857.