Channel 4 is facing criticism after a live debate, which was part of its ‘Genderquake’ series, saw panellists Munroe Bergdorf and Caitlyn Jenner heckled with transphobic abuse.
On Wednesday (8 May), the channel aired ‘Genderquake: The Debate’, in which Munroe and Caitlyn appeared alongside and a number of other experts in a discussion about issues relating to gender, including feminist critic Germaine Greer and journalist Ash Sarkar.
However, viewers quickly grew uncomfortable when members of the audience began shouting transphobic comments during the debate, and when Munroe called for them to be removed by security, her request was ignored.
Viewers on social media shared their disdain for the direction the show took, blasting Channel 4 for their handling of the debate and branding the project a “wasted opportunity”, with a variety of subjects not being tackled.
Following the debate, Munroe herself spoke out on social media, simply branding the experience “stressful”.
HuffPost UK has reached out to Channel 4 for comment, and is awaiting a response.
‘Genderquake: The Debate’ was chaired by Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman, and followed the two-part reality show, ‘Genderquake’, in which 11 young people who identified in different ways both in terms of gender and sexuality moved into a house together.
The show received a mixed response, with some praising the way it presented gender-related issues, while others slammed the way one of the young men featured was outed as transgender on the show.