Lord Hall, the Director General of the BBC, has said the watershed was unlikely to still be in effect in decades to come, admitting he “suspects” it may no longer be as relevant.

Lord Hall told the Radio Times: “The watershed is still a useful way of judging the content and sensitivities, and taste and decency issues. But has the watershed got a future in 20 or 30 years’ time? I suspect not.”

Currently, broadcasters are subject to strict rules which determine the material they can air before 9pm, when it is considered likely that children will be watching. But while Ofcom still enforces rules carefully, the rise of on-demand viewing has meant young people can view programmes at any time of their choosing.

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