Dimbleby defends 'toadying' joke

The fragile relationship between the BBC and the monarchy took a turn for the worse today, after one of its veteran broadcasters made a "tasteless" comment moments before the Queen's Jubilee address.

Only weeks after the BBC was criticised for its coverage of the Queen Mother's funeral, David Dimbleby was overheard saying "Remember, no arse licking" a few minutes before the Queen's speech.

The BBC insists his comments were meant as a "joke" and were not broadcast, and Mr Dimbleby has issued a statement justifying his comment.

He said: "The atmosphere is always a bit tense before a big programme like this. I always try to break the ice by being ribald and teasing people."