Apparently after faking the results of one competition, it has been revealed that producers of Blue Peter have again deceived the public with a story that their new cat, Socks, wasn’t the name that was selected in an online poll.

Having said that, dig into the story a little bit, and you’ll actually find it was because the poll selected an unsuitable name. Amusingly few of the articles have actually said what the unsuitable name actually is. Expecting something shocking, I came across this Times article which drops the following hint:

Socks was the name chosen for the Blue Peter cat by the programme’s producers, although insiders said that the decision was taken because the most common name selected – a variant on Puss – was deemed to be inappropriate.

The Sun has no problem revealing the name.

Having found out what the name actually is, I do think that you’ll find that there were a good few non-viewers who voted for that for a laugh. As to it being inappropriate, and the fact that neither the BBC online service or the broadsheets are reporting the actual name, it is ironic to consider that thirty years ago prime-time BBC comedy series Are You Being Served used the same name as the basis for a running gag… How times have changed!

Update: The BBC have now released a statement claiming that the name that won the poll that wasn’t used was Cookie – quite why producers changed the vote and went for Socks instead I don’t know. The Times is still quoting the original story attributing it to BBC staff – but also quoting that the corporation is officially saying ‘Cookie’. Digital Spy is saying that it is because Socks was considered a more suitable name for a kitten. On what basis is Cookie considered inappropriate for a children’s programme or less suitable for a kitten than Socks? Certainly I’ve known several people who have used one or other of the names for pets before and not had any concerns about the names being inappropriate for their children. Very strange…