Ofcom resolves LBC issue over listener text message

Ofcom has resolved a standards case involving LBC after James O’Brien read out a listener’s message about Jewish education.

The regulator received 265 complaints about the 22 July 2025 edition of James O’Brien.

During a discussion about public attitudes to the Israel Gaza war, James read a text from a listener which claimed his wife had been taught at a “Shabbat school” in Hertfordshire that “one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives” and that “Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed”.

Ofcom said the message, and the way it was framed on air, had the potential to be highly offensive because some listeners could take it as suggesting Jewish religious education promotes hatred of Arab people.

It concluded the material was not sufficiently contextualised, and found LBC in breach of Rule 2.3 on generally accepted standards.

LBC told Ofcom the text was read out “in good faith” as part of a discussion about propaganda and objectivity, but accepted its normal checks were not fully followed.

The station removed the programme from online platforms and contacted the contributor. The next day, James delivered an on-air apology at the same time, saying he was “genuinely sorry” for taking “unsubstantiated claims at face value”.

Ofcom said the subsequent steps and apology meant the case was resolved.