Henry's third wife: Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour in Wolf Hall . Viewers of the BBC's flagship historical drama Wolf Hall have reacted with shock after the 'C-word' was used on the latest episode of the programme. Fans of the Tudor-themed series questioned whether the use of the word, usually considered the rudest swear word in English, was 'really necessary'. And 24 members of the public have filed official complaints  objecting to the use of the word in the programme, which is aired on BBC2 just after the 9pm watershed. Wolf Hall, which is based on the best-selling novel by Hilary Mantel and chronicles the rise of Henry VIII's adviser Thomas Cromwell, regularly uses bad language in an apparent bid for historical accuracy. But the episode broadcast last Wednesday was the first to feature the C-word, during a discussion between courtiers about Henry's third wife Jane Seymour. As the king, played by Damian Lewis, looked out of the window at his future bride, he mused: 'Does not Mistress Seymour have the tiniest hands?' While he walked away, courtiers mocked him behind his back, with one saying: 'Does she not have the whitest throat?' At that point, one nobleman joked: ‘Has she not got the wettest c*** you ever groped?’ Scroll down for video . Shock: This scene in Wolf Hall featured the use of the C-word, considered the most offensive in English . Complaint: Some viewers took to Twitter to express their outrage at the use of the obscenity . Some viewers took to the internet to express their surprise at the obscenity - which followed a warning about 'very strong language'. Suzie Warren wrote on Twitter: 'Was the "very strong language" really necessary? #rude'. A spokesman for Ofcom revealed that the regulator has received four complaints about the swearing in the episode, adding: 'We will assess these complaints before deciding whether to investigate or not.' In addition, 20 viewers complained to the BBC directly. The moment was also featured on Gogglebox last week, provoking visible shock from the TV viewers who star in the Channel 4 reality show. Hit: The drama, starring Damian Lewis as Henry VIII and Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, is on BBC2 . A spokesman for the BBC said: 'Wolf Hall is broadcast after the watershed and the language in this powerful scene was taken from Hilary Mantel’s original text.' Wolf Hall has attracted acclaim from critics and viewers for its lavish production values and Mark Rylance's starring performance as Cromwell. Author: Wolf Hall novelist Hilary Mantel has frequently courted controversy in the past . However, it has also been the subject of controversy over its decision to use only candles to light the set, and accusations that some details are historically inaccurate. The novel by Ms Mantel won the 2009 Booker Prize, while its sequel Bring Up the Bodies was given the same award three years later. But despite the author's success, she has courted high-profile rows after describing the Duchess of Cambridge as a 'shop window mannequin' and writing a short story fantasising about Margaret Thatcher being assassinated. The book of Wolf Hall also uses the C-word, which has been part of the English language since at least the 13th century. In its earliest centuries the word was not considered particularly obscene, and it appears multiple times in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. But by the time of Shakespeare, shortly after the era in which Wolf Hall is set, the term appears to have become a taboo, and though the playwright alludes to it he never uses it outright. A BBC poll from 2000 found that people considered it the most offensive word of all, even ahead of vile racial slurs.
Tudor-themed drama broadcast the word 'c***' during last week's episode .
20 viewers have complained to the BBC about the use of the swear word, while four more have filed complaints with Ofcom .
Others used Twitter to express their shock at the explicit language .
The word has been in use for at least 800 years despite its taboo status .
Henry's third wife: Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour in Wolf Hall . Viewers of the BBC's flagship historical drama Wolf Hall have reacted with shock after the 'C-word' was used on the latest episode of the programme. Fans of the Tudor-themed series questioned whether the use of the word, usually considered the rudest swear word in English, was 'really necessary'. And 24 members of the public have filed official complaints  objecting to the use of the word in the programme, which is aired on BBC2 just after the 9pm watershed. Wolf Hall, which is based on the best-selling novel by Hilary Mantel and chronicles the rise of Henry VIII's adviser Thomas Cromwell, regularly uses bad language in an apparent bid for historical accuracy. But the episode broadcast last Wednesday was the first to feature the C-word, during a discussion between courtiers about Henry's third wife Jane Seymour. As the king, played by Damian Lewis, looked out of the window at his future bride, he mused: 'Does not Mistress Seymour have the tiniest hands?' While he walked away, courtiers mocked him behind his back, with one saying: 'Does she not have the whitest throat?' At that point, one nobleman joked: ‘Has she not got the wettest c*** you ever groped?’ Scroll down for video . Shock: This scene in Wolf Hall featured the use of the C-word, considered the most offensive in English . Complaint: Some viewers took to Twitter to express their outrage at the use of the obscenity . Some viewers took to the internet to express their surprise at the obscenity - which followed a warning about 'very strong language'. Suzie Warren wrote on Twitter: 'Was the "very strong language" really necessary? #rude'. A spokesman for Ofcom revealed that the regulator has received four complaints about the swearing in the episode, adding: 'We will assess these complaints before deciding whether to investigate or not.' In addition, 20 viewers complained to the BBC directly. The moment was also featured on Gogglebox last week, provoking visible shock from the TV viewers who star in the Channel 4 reality show. Hit: The drama, starring Damian Lewis as Henry VIII and Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, is on BBC2 . A spokesman for the BBC said: 'Wolf Hall is broadcast after the watershed and the language in this powerful scene was taken from Hilary Mantel’s original text.' Wolf Hall has attracted acclaim from critics and viewers for its lavish production values and Mark Rylance's starring performance as Cromwell. Author: Wolf Hall novelist Hilary Mantel has frequently courted controversy in the past . However, it has also been the subject of controversy over its decision to use only candles to light the set, and accusations that some details are historically inaccurate. The novel by Ms Mantel won the 2009 Booker Prize, while its sequel Bring Up the Bodies was given the same award three years later. But despite the author's success, she has courted high-profile rows after describing the Duchess of Cambridge as a 'shop window mannequin' and writing a short story fantasising about Margaret Thatcher being assassinated. The book of Wolf Hall also uses the C-word, which has been part of the English language since at least the 13th century. In its earliest centuries the word was not considered particularly obscene, and it appears multiple times in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. But by the time of Shakespeare, shortly after the era in which Wolf Hall is set, the term appears to have become a taboo, and though the playwright alludes to it he never uses it outright. A BBC poll from 2000 found that people considered it the most offensive word of all, even ahead of vile racial slurs.
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