The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has found a nudity-laden British dating show should have contained a stronger content warning for audiences.

Naked Attraction features one fully clothed individual selecting a date from six naked people, who are gradually revealed in stages from the feet up, with no blurring or pixelation.

The first two episodes were broadcast late last year after 9.30pm on TVNZ on consecutive Fridays.

Following the broadcasts the BSA received 13 complaints – 12 of them individuals and one from Family First – about the high level of nudity and sexual discussion.

The first episode, broadcast on 27 October 2017, included 282 shots of male genitalia and 96 of female genitalia.

The Authority says its decision highlights the importance of broadcasters using tools, such as audience warnings, to assist audiences to make informed choices about what they watch.

“The level of nudity in Naked Attraction went beyond what most viewers would be accustomed to on free-to-air television in New Zealand,” the decision noted.

The complainants also said the programme was broadcast at a time on a weekend night when children were likely to be watching. The Authority did not agree, however, that the programme ought not to have been broadcast at all. It observed that, while the programme may not have been to everybody’s taste, it contained many body-positive messages and those involved in the programme spoke positively of their experiences.

“In our opinion, the programme was not salacious or designed to titillate,” the decision said.