TV watchdogs have received a number of complaints following a joke by TV presenter Graham Norton about the death of Bee Gee Maurice Gibb.

On his programme, V Graham Norton, on Monday night, the presenter said: "I bet the heart monitor was singing the tune of Staying Alive."

The Independent Television Commission (ITC) said it had received 13 complaints about the joke, which was made a day after the singer died in Miami on Sunday.

A spokeswoman for the ITC said the number of complaints was "quite high for Graham Norton's programme".

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"People rarely complain to us about Graham Norton's programme because they know the kind of content he has on," she said.

Stand-up comic Norton has won many awards for his shows, on which he interviews star guests, talks to members of the audience and features unusual internet sites.

Last year he won the title best comedy entertainment personality as well as the prize for best entertainment show at the Comedy Awards.

The spokeswoman said the watchdog would investigate the remark to see if it breached the ITC broadcast code.

"We are not driven by the number of complaints and will investigate the joke," she said.

The funeral of Maurice Gibb took place in Miami in front of family and friends on Wednesday.

Channel 4 was unavailable for comment.