BBC responds to “trans rights censorship” accusations over ‘House Of The Dragon’ star’s ‘Protect The Dolls’ t-shirt

The BBC has responded to claims of “trans rights censorship” over House Of The Dragons’ Bethany Antonia’s ‘Protect The Dolls’ t-shirt.

Antonia, who plays Baela Targaryen in the Game Of Thrones prequel, is currently competing in season 24 of Strictly Come Dancing. During this weekend’s show, she could be seen wearing a pro-trans ‘Protect The Dolls’ charity t-shirt, which raises money for the non-profit organisation Not A Phase. The same t-shirt has been worn by Pedro Pascal, Madonna, Troye Sivan and Addison Rae.

However, in several of the training clips, the slogan had been deliberately edited out and a number of Strictly Come Dancing viewers have taken to social media to accuse the BBC of trans rights “censorship.”

Bethany wore a T-Shirt that said ‘Protect the Dolls’ during #Strictly rehearsals.

After posting a video, the BBC quietly replaced it with a new one that doesn’t show her from the front. During the show, they actually blurred out the T-Shirt completely. Absolutely despicable pic.twitter.com/MHr7m6ZyKH

— sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴠ (@superTV247) October 10, 2026

“Let it be known the BBC are absolute cowards for this. I can’t believe calling for the safety of trans women deserves censorship in their eyes. I’m disgusted and you should be to,” wrote one X user. “We’ve became so right wing as a country, we can’t show a shirt promoting safety and inclusivity,” said another. “This is disgraceful behaviour from the BBC. Shame on them,” added another.

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However the BBC has defended the decision to censor Antonia’s ‘Protect The Dolls’ t-shirt. “As is standard practice on any entertainment show on the BBC and in line with our editorial guidelines, appropriate steps are taken to reduce the inclusion of any overt branding or slogans that may be present, regardless of the wording or statement in question,” a spokesperson said in a statement to The Independent.

Last month, the BBC axed RuPaul’s Drag Race UK after eight series due to budget cuts. Earlier this year, it scrapped queer dating show I Kissed A Girl and its spin-off I Kissed A Boy due to “funding challenges.”

“I’m not even shocked at this point,” Jordan Burrow, who appeared in the second series of I Kissed A Boy, told BBC Newsbeat at the time. “I just feel like it’s very much an example of where we’re at within the queer community and where we stand with people who are not in the community.”