BBC apologizes for airing children’s show with Jimmy Savile character

The BBC has issued an apology following the Sunday morning showing of an old episode of the children’s show The Tweenies which portrayed a character pretending to be alleged sex offender Jimmy Savile.

Savile, who passed away in 2011, was a TV and radio personality who is now under investigation for having sexually abused an alleged 450 victims, many of who were children, according to the BBC.

The Tweenies episode ran on the CBeebies channel which has programming aimed at 4-6 year olds. During the show, a character donned a blond wig, god chains, and a track suit- characteristics indicative of Savile, according to UPI.

Although this episode was filmed in 2001, The Hollywood Reporter reports that parents who witnessed the show in the early hours of Sunday morning took to Twitter decrying the network and wondering how no one at the BBC managed to catch the reference before airing the episode in light of current affairs.

According to ATV Today, the BBC issued an apology, stating, “This morning CBeebies broadcast a repeat of an episode of the Tweenies, originally made in 2001, featuring a character dressed as a DJ impersonating Jimmy Savile. This programme will not be repeated and we are very sorry for any offence caused.”