Jamie Oliver, Sharon Horgan and more recite viewers' complaints about them in film from Channel 4

The likes of Jamie Oliver, Sharon Horgan and Paralympic medallist Ellie Simmonds face up to trollers in a new spot for British broadcaster Channel 4. 

In the ad, titled "Complaints welcome," the stars of the channel read out real-life complaints from viewers that smell of homophobia, sexism and more. But rather than simply calling them out, they put a quirky, humorous twist on the words, effectively reducing them to ignorant drivel. The point is to highlight both the broadcaster's diverse array of talent and its reputation for being unafraid to be edgy and controversial. 

For example, Horgan, co-writer and co-star of Channel 4’s "Catastrophe," sits amidst a group of elderly men in a gentleman’s club and repeats her complaint: “This just confirms my suspicion that women aren’t funny.” Elsewhere, gay Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson breaks off mid-kiss with his husband and reads out the complaint: “I’m not homophobic but do we have to have gay kissing at dinner time?”

Artist and presenter Grayson Perry appears as his female alter-ego Claire reading out the complaint made against him: “It wouldn’t be so bad if he tried to make himself look like a normal woman!” And Great British Bake Off presenter Sandi Toksvig appears wearing a "Top Gun" leather jacket, sitting on the back of a motorbike as she says in a deep, macho voice: “She looks like Tom Cruise.”

The film breaks on Channel 4 on Tuesday night, and will be accompanied by a call for viewers to submit any complaints they might have to [email protected]. It was created in-house by 4Creative and directed by Alex Boutell.