Sydney, Australia - Gordon Ramsay's expletive-strewn television series in Australia was condemned yesterday by the Roman Catholic Church.
The Australian parliament is holding an inquiry into swearing on television, prompted by the British chef's ready use of the F-word and other profanities in Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen, both big hits in Australia.
In a submission to the inquiry, the Catholic Church called for Mr Ramsay's shows to be either taken off air or shown at a later time. They are shown currently at 8.30pm and 9.30pm, three times a week.
Mr Ramsay has been defended by the Council for Civil Liberties, which has condemned the inquiry for targeting free speech. He has also pointed out that swearing was a key part of Australia's recent tourism campaign, in which a bikini-clad model asked prospective visitors "Where the bloody hell are you?" The advertisement was banned from Britain television on the grounds that it was offensive.