Boris Johnson has criticised Prime Minister Kier Starmer‘s welcoming of plans to air Netflix‘s Adolescence in secondary schools, calling the show “tosh”.Since its release on March 13, the drama about a father dealing with the fallout of his son being suspected of murder has prompted a wider discussion about toxic masculinity in the UK.In late March, it was confirmed that Netflix would be making the series available to all UK secondary schools in the hope that its examination of the internet and toxic online influences will help steer young people on the right path.The news followed Starmer telling makers of the show that it was “really hard to watch” with his own teenage children, and that the show acted as “a torch that shines intensely brightly on a combination of issues that many people don’t know how to respond to”.Starmer also welcomed the move by Netflix to make the series available for free in schools.As a father, watching Adolescence with my teenage son and daughter hit home hard.We all need to be having these conversations more.I've backed Netflix's plan to show the series for free in schools across the country, so as many young people as possible can see it.— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 31, 2025Now, former Prime Minister Johnson has criticised Adolescense and Starmer’s support of it, calling the Stephen Graham-starring show “well acted tosh”.In his latest column for the Daily Mail, Johnson wrote, in reference to Starmer, “Who does he think he is, telling teachers what TV programmes to show the kids? According to the BBC – and if you can’t believe the BBC, what can you believe? – Starmer has personally mandated every classroom in the land to have formal showings of a four-part TV drama called Adolescence.
