It's a festive favourite in Ireland and abroad but Fairytale of New York has sparked debate in recent years because of its lyrics - and now the saga has taken another twist.
Originally released by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl in 1987, Fairytale Of New York has been deemed a classic for the past 35 years
But in recent times when December rolls around, the song makes headlines due to its lyrics, which contains the word “f****t”.
And it's now emerged that the BBC's Radio 2 will only play a censored version of the song.
Many radio stations have made the decision to play an alternate version of the track in recent years, which replaces the line “you cheap, lousy f****t” with “you’re cheap and you’re haggard”.
The new edit still features vocals Kirsty MacColl, who often used the updated lyric while performing Fairytale Of New York live.
READ MORE: Fairytale of New York crowned Ireland's favourite Christmas song despite controversial lyrics
Two years ago the BBC confirmed that Radio 1 would be playing the censored version, while Radio 2 would continue to air the edit with the slur intact.
But this year Radio 2 is only going to play the censored version too. A spokesperson said: “On Radio 2 we are reflecting what we are hearing back from many of our listeners who love the song, but find some of the lyrics jarring in 2022, and playing an alternative version provided by the record company.
“We know the song is considered a Christmas classic and we will continue to play it this year, with our radio stations choosing the version of the song most relevant for their audience.”
Pogues frontman Shane McGowan has previously said he is "absolutely fine" with radio stations removing the slur from the song.
