Swearing chef prompts tighter Australian TV rules

Foul-mouthed British chef Gordon Ramsay yesterday prompted Australia's parliament to push for tighter rules to protect viewers from swearing on television.

Ramsay's program are ratings winners on free-to-air television in Australia, but prompted outrage earlier this year when one episode featured the volatile chef using a four-letter expletive more than 80 times in 40 minutes.

The Catholic church called for his shows to be scrapped or shown at a later time, and now an inquiry by the Senate, Australia's upper house, has urged better warnings on program and new ways for television stations to deal with complaints.