Jonathan Pie: Jimmy Carr's Holocaust joke 'technically very well written'

7 February 2022, 15:10 | Updated: 7 February 2022, 16:08

By Seán Hickey

The comedian behind the comedy political reporter Jonathan Pie tells LBC that he will 'vehemently defend' Jimmy Carr's right to tell a joke about the Roma Genocide in the Holocaust.

Comedian Jimmy Carr has come under fire in recent days after a joke in his new comedy special His Dark Material divided opinion. In the show, Mr Carr tells a joke about the Holocaust and points out that Roma Gypsies were victims of the atrocities as well as Jews, stating that "nobody wants to talk about the positives".

Comedian Tom Walker, best known for his work under the moniker Jonathan Pie, joined Nick Ferrari to discuss the controversy.

"The line between offence and comedy is very thin, in Jimmy Carr's case they jump across that line gleefully" he began, explaining to listeners in this case that "you have to look at two things: context and intent."

"Are we seriously saying that Jimmy Carr actually condones the mass murder of Gypsies?" He asked, before making the case that Mr Carr doesn't in fact think this way.

"Is it a tasteless joke? Yes. Is it a joke I found funny? No. But I would vehemently defend his right to tell that joke."

Mr Walker then went on to explain the skill behind Mr Carr's writing which produced such uproar: "He turns what sounds like is going to be a woke statement into the exact opposite."

"Technically its a very, very well-written joke."

The comedian then took a wider look at the implications for the art if Jimmy Carr is cancelled for his joke.

"If you've got lots of people judging your work who haven't even watched it and are looking at one joke out of context, then yes, comedy is in trouble."

"Comedians should be running screaming to Jimmy Carr's defence, even if they find the joke distasteful" he insisted, concluding that "this puts their careers in jeopardy."