Quangocrats at the UK's advertising watchdog have thrown open the floodgates for women to have orgasms on British television before 11pm, albeit very quietly.

The Advertising Standards Authority has dismissed a complaint about an advert for Durex Play O, described by its makers as a "pleasure enhancing gel for women". The ad featured a "montage of silent clips of women who appeared to express sexual ecstasy set to an excerpt from Mozart's Magic Flute". This piece is famous for its "long squeaky bit in the middle", according to the Reg defense and opera desk.

Apparently the ad had originally been cleared to run only after 11pm, but an aggrieved viewer had spotted it on Channel 4 at the early hour of 10.05pm and promptly "challenged whether it was offensive and overly graphic to be broadcast".

The ASA ruled that while the ad was on earlier than it should have been, the hour and the fact it was on Channel 4 made it unlikely that many impressionable children would have accidentally clapped eyes on it.

"We considered that this ad was not overly graphic, contained no explicit material and was unlikely to cause offence, provided it was scheduled appropriately," the ASA said.

The organisation also noted that the ad featured no nudity, except for male torsos. Which suggests that Play O is not quite all you need. ®

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