Poleaxed

The BBC has been forced to axe a celebrity pole dancing show after protests from women’s groups.

Zoe Ball had been due to strut her stuff in Strictly Pole Dancing for the Sport Relief charity event in July.

Denise Marshall of the Poppy Project, a group which helps women trafficked into prostitution, said: “Despite celebrity advocates promoting pole dancing as harmless fun, we must not forget that it has inextricable links to the sexual exploitation of women.”

A BBC spokesman added: “This idea was one of several that we were considering and will not now be developed further.”

Other names being lined up for the show were rumoured to include newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky and GMTV’s Fiona Phillips.