Media: iPlayer launch delayed. Again.

The final launch of the BBC's iPlayer has again been delayed as the idea approaches its 14th birthday, the corporation has announced.

A spokesman said developers were still "fine tuning" the video on demand service and wanted to get it right before a rollout, now planned for mid 2018.

But reports the BBC was only working on a Kerry Katona-themed skin for the player, and a Strictly Come Dancing cursor, reignited claims that "dumbing down" was affecting the iPlayer.

However, director-general Graham Norton insisted everything was well: "Eeeeeeee the interactive chaps have exactly the right idea.

"Who wants a nasty looking dull iPlayer when they can have a sexy new one? Do you remember that clunky old grey version? Eurrggh."

And Mark Thompson, chairman of the BBC Trust, said Norton had his backing: "The BBC must remain committed to giving the public what they want.

"The Trust affirmed this some time ago with the reduction of the combined news-factual budget to a tenner, and by allocating big names such as John Humphrys to reality show Spending The Rest Of My Life On The Outer Hebrides."

The iPlayer, first envisaged as the Integrated Media Player in 2003, has since been through 12 testing stages and cancelled then re-commissioned five times.

DS Forum members, who have been testing versions of the iPlayer since the early noughties, were not concerned, all having moved onto other VOD services years ago.