Sex and kissing scenes top list of UK families’ most awkward viewing moments

Sex scenes and kissing are the most awkward things for families to watch on screen, according to a new survey.

New British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) research, by YouGov, surveyed 1,500 parents/caregivers and young people aged 12-19 to unveil the nation’s most embarrassing viewing moments.

Sex scenes topped the list for two thirds (66%) of parents.

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Nudity (41%) and sexual references (40%) followed in second and third place.

When it happened, many parents told jokes, started conversations or even wound past the awkward scene.

However, for people aged 12 to 19, it was kissing that topped the poll.

Seeing people lock lips on screen was embarrassing for 54%, with sex scenes and nudity (for 17 to 19-year-olds only) following.

The research showed that young people tend to sit in silence or grab their phones when cringeworthy scenes cropped up.

Comedian Henning Wehn said in a new BBFC podcast episode: “I remember many, many moons ago. I was a teenager and I was up late with my father and then Trainspotting came on. There’s obviously quite a lot of nudity and swearing and drug taking, and well - neither of us knew quite where to look.”

“We haven’t got the kettle in Germany," he added. "It’s not like, oh my God, make a cup of tea - so that option was taken from us.”

The BBFC has now unveiled an enhanced ratings feature on both its website and app. The new visual display will appear on every new release that is submitted for cinema, alongside all the major 2023 releases that have already been classified to help families choose content well.

BBFC chief executive David Austin OBE said it was designed for busy parents.

"Imagine that you’re in a cinema queue and you’ve got no time to read even a couple of paragraphs about what’s in a film," he said.

"We’re now showing the age rating with dots to indicate strength of content issues, so that parents can see what a film contains at a glance, and why it received a particular age rating.”

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The BBFC is encouraging UK families to visit the BBFC.co.uk website or download the free app from the App Store or Google Play to help avoid the awkward moments.

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