Interestingly (or not) when they repeated this episode of Noel's HQ they actually cut some off Noel's original "rant" out. Mainly the bit where he talks about the council officer and who pays your money etc...and any other more personal remarks got cut. I don't know weather this was perhaps Sky were advised to or maybe the council complained?

Anyway, remembering this isn't an entertainment show of course, here's the Bonker's Britain segment from the very same show. Whereby Noel talks about silly things like milk cartons that warn you it contains milk, some guy singing a silly song and Keith Chegwin messing aroud. In no way is this meant to be entertaining of course - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqDLKjLtge0 (nice little run to desk Noel ).

Noel Edmonds was locked in last-minute discussions with Sky executives last weekend, and at one point threatened to walk from his show Noel's HQ because he was upset about the way Saturday's live programme was edited for the Sunday night repeat, MediaGuardian.co.uk understands.

According to sources close to the production, Edmonds was furious that an item on Saturday's live show on Sky1 about a disabled British soldier's battle over accommodation with his local council was edited by the broadcaster before last weekend's edition was repeated on Sunday on Sky2.

Elements of the live Sky1 show concerning the plight of 20-year-old soldier Joe Townsend, who lost both his legs to a landmine in Afghanistan, are understood to have been cut from the Sunday repeat.

These edits are said to include the removal of two mentions of the name of a council press officer, leaving one. The individual was being directly addressed by Edmonds on Noel's HQ during an emotional tirade during which he also said: "When we stop respecting the ladies and gentlemen of our armed forces this country really is in a shocking state".

In all, about 20 seconds of the sequence are thought to have been edited out of the Sunday repeat, leading Edmonds to seek assurances from Sky1 about editorial interference in future shows, according to production sources. It is thought that Edmonds feels the show needs to be free to campaign.

Sky1 declined to confirm whether the editing was because of concerns that the material may have breached Ofcom's programming code.

A Sky1 spokesman did confirm that Noel's HQ, which finishes its first series this weekend, had not yet been recommissioned.

"The current series hasn't finished its run yet and we would traditionally wait until a series has been broadcast before committing to a new order," he said.

"Moreover, with the announcement on a new director of programming imminent any new commissioning decisions are not being made. That said we're delighted with the viewing figures and the achievements of the show," he said.

The edited material was part of the emotionally charged fourth episode of Noel's HQ, broadcast on Saturday night and repeated on Sunday.

Edmonds, who appeared close to tears, railed against Wealdon district council, which had rejected Townsend's bungalow application and named a press officer who allegedly told the show's production team it was the policy of the authority not to speak to entertainment shows.

He said he had "never been this angry in a studio" during his entire career, which began when he was employed as a newsreader for Radio Luxembourg in 1968.

Noel's HQ is screened on Saturday nights and sees the former presenter of Noel's House Party campaigning on behalf of the public and rewarding ordinary people for "life-changing acts of generosity".

The fifth and final episode of Noel's HQ, which is made by independent producer Two Four, will air next weekend with a live Saturday show and a shorter edited Sunday repeat.

It is expected that the final edition of the live show this Saturday will run to 90 minutes and will feature an update on Townsend's story.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/fe ... o-quit-sky