ITV This Morning 'Fifty Shades' session gets lashing from viewers

ITV’s This Morning has sparked a string of complaints from viewers with a segment on “bondage for beginners”.

The section – inspired by the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey movie as well as Valentine’s Day – offered advice on sex toys and showed half-naked models cavorting on a bed in the background.

Sex expert Annabelle Knight talked Phillip Schofield and co-host Christine Bleakley through a selection of toys including blindfolds, a feather “tickler” and a vibrating “body wand”.

Schofield looked embarrassed when he warned “sensitive” viewers about the upcoming piece, saying “it will be done in good taste”, as Bleakley tried to stifle a fit of the giggles.

He then appeared tongue-tied as footage of models writhing on a bed was shown. Asked about his views on a satin eye mask, he said: “Sorry, I was just watching the VT then – I got a bit distracted.”

The show then stepped things up a gear, with “intermediate” and “advanced” sections featuring whips, vibrators and nipple clamps.

Bleakley got the giggles after being handed a pair of nipple clamps, saying “I’ll try them later.”

Inevitably, some viewers got hot under the collar over the timing of the spicy segment, shown at 10.30am when toddlers may have been watching.

However, it was too tame for others:

An Ofcom spokesman that it has received 74 complaints from viewers and is assessing these before deciding whether to investigate.