Frank Skinner turned down Benefits Street voiceover job Frank Skinner has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to narrate the Channel 4 documentary show, Benefits Street. The programme, which has attracted audiences of more than 4 million, reports on the inhabitants of Turner Street, in Winson Green, Birmingham, 90 per cent of whom claim benefits between £500-£900 per month. Skinner was born in West Bromwich, three miles away from Winson Green, and grew up nearby in Oldbury. He told The Birmingham Mail that he was approached by Channel 4 to do the voiceover for the series, and although he saw couple of "very nice" clips, was concerned about the show's subject matter. "They said it was going to be about the community spirit in the street, but I was worried about the topic," Skinner said. I thought, 'I don't really want to be involved in something where I'm derogatory about people from Birmingham. He said he cared about what people from the city thought of him, which added to his reluctance to appear as the show's narrator. Skinner insisted, "I really don't want to be on TV criticising Birmingham." Channel 4 has faced complaints and police interest over Benefits Street after footage showed one of the inhabitants lining a bag to prevent shoplifted goods from being detected and how to remove security tags without causing damage. The channel responded, saying: "Filmed for more than a year, this fair and balanced observational documentary series is a fair reflection of the reality of life on a street where the majority of households receive benefits - and in an area of Birmingham that has had the highest rate of unemployment in the country for the last eight years. Time and again the series reveals a community where residents know that, when times get tough, they can turn to each other for help. Reviewing the show's second episode for The Telegraph, Sameer Rahim said Benefits Street was "necessary viewing" for showing the realities of a life funded by welfare.