Sadie Sink has won near-universal praise for her portrayal of Max Mayfield on Stranger Things, but the show’s creative team apparently had a surprising reservation about her at first.
Speaking to Fashion magazine, the actor opened up about her audition process for the second season of the smash Netflix series.
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In the interview, she revealed that casting directors initially told her she was too “old” for the part – even though she was only 14 at the time.
Still, Sadie wasn’t easily deterred, noting that the role of Max felt “right” to her.
“I just begged and pleaded with them to give me more material so I could show them something fresh,” she said.
Eventually, the producers opted to call her in for a chemistry read with fellow actors Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin, who play Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair on the show, respectively.
The following day, the part was hers.
“Honestly, my life has felt a bit like a coming-of-age movie,” Sadie Sink said.
Kevin Winter via Getty Images
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Now 20, Sadie was hardly an acting novice at the time of her Stranger Things audition.
She made her Broadway debut in the 2012 production of Annie, and successfully made the leap to TV the following year with a guest role on the FX series The Americans.
In 2021, she joined the horror film franchise Fear Street as Ziggy Berman. This fall, she’ll be seen opposite Brendan Fraser in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale.
Elsewhere in her Fashion interview, Sadie reflected on the unexpected challenges of having spent the bulk of her teen years in the spotlight.
“It’s such a weird and specific situation that the Stranger Things cast and I are all in because the world knows who our characters are but we’re still trying to figure out who we are as people,” she explained. “I think being in the industry accelerates you and you mature faster. But for the most part, it’s just so fun because the cast is all going through it together.”
She then noted: “Honestly, my life has felt a bit like a coming-of-age movie.”
Sex Education star Patricia Allison has revealed she won’t be returning to the award-winning teen drama when it returns for its fourth season next year.
Patricia has played teenager Ola in all three series of the hit Netflix show, with a fourth currently in the pipeline.
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However, in a new interview with Capital Xtra, the actor revealed she would not be returning in the new batch of episodes as she is pursuing new opportunities.
“I know, I absolutely have loved being on Sex Education so so much, and playing Ola but unfortunately, I won’t be joining the team for season four,” she said.
“I’m so sorry to have to break that to you guys but umm, I’m just going to be doing some other little things, some other opportunities have come up. So, I’ve been doing it for three years and I’ve, like, genuinely loved it.”
“I love the show,” she added. “[But you] have to say goodbye some time which is kind of sad. But other things are coming.”
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Ola was introduced in the first season of Sex Education as a love interest for lead character Otis, who just happened to be the daughter of his mum’s partner, Jakob.
As the series has progressed, Patricia has been boosted from a recurring star to a main cast member, with Ola later entering a relationship with the alien-obsessed Lily.
Ola’s love story with Lily formed a major part of her character’s development
With Patricia teasing new projects, her co-stars have also gone on to achieve big things since Sex Education’s launch.
Emma Mackey has appeared in films like Eiffel and Death On The Nile, as well as the upcoming Barbie film.
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Barbie will also feature Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa, who was recently announced as Jodie Whittaker’s successor in the new series of Doctor Who.
Meanwhile, Simone Ashley recently played a lead role in another major Netflix project, Bridgerton.
Regé-Jean Page has shut down reports he is set to reprise his role as the Duke Of Hastings in the third series of Bridgerton.
The actor played one of the romantic leads in the first series of the hit Netflix period drama, but did not return for the second, which was released earlier this year.
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Reports recently claimed that he was in talks about reuniting with co-star Phoebe Dynevor, who plays his wife Daphne Bridgerton, in the next set of episodes.
However, those holding out hope of seeing Regé-Jean back in action as Simon Basset will be disappointed as he has said there is no truth to the rumours.
After hanging out with former co-star Jonathan Bailey, who plays Anthony Bridgerton, at Milan Fashion Week, Regé-Jean posted some snaps on Instagram, writing: “The boys are back in town (No, I’m not going back to the show btw – the papers made that one up.)
“But we had the best, and most stylish, catch up I’ve had in a while over some truly excellent Italian coffee and sunshine.”
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Last month, it was revealed the love story between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) will take centre stage in Bridgerton’s forthcoming series.
This is a deviation from the order of the original books, as the third instalment in the Bridgerton novel series by Julia Quinn focuses on Benedict Bridgerton’s romance with Sophie Beckett.
The couple will take the lead roles in the show’s third season
Explaining the change in an interview with Variety, new showrunner Jess Brownell said: “I really feel like it’s Colin and Penelope’s time. Because we’ve been watching both of these actors on our screens since season one, we’ve already invested in them a little bit. We know who they are as people,” she said.
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“I feel like, especially in the last season, there are these moments of tension between them where it’s like, Colin walks up to the line of almost realising that Penelope has feelings for him but doesn’t quite get there.
“Instead of treading water on that dynamic, we wanted to push it into their season. It really felt like the perfect moment to tee it up.”
The After Life creator’s newest show SuperNature began streaming earlier this week, and was quickly condemned over the material in his stand-up set, which also includes jokes about AIDS and female comedians.
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SuperNature opens with Gervais telling the audience that his jokes are intended to be “ironic”.
He then goes on to refer to cisgender women as “old-fashioned women… the ones with wombs, those fucking dinosaurs”, before making disparaging comments about trans women.
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The set then includes an imagined conversation between a cis woman objecting to sharing a toilet with trans women, including a joke about rape.
Ricky Gervais
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During an appearance on The One Show, the comic defended making jokes about “taboo subjects”.
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“I think that’s what comedy is for, really – to get us through stuff, and I deal in taboo subjects because I want to take the audience to a place it hasn’t been before, even for a split second,” he said.
“Most offence comes from when people mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target.”
He continued: “It starts and they go, what’s he going to say? I tell the joke. Phew, they laugh.
“It’s like a parachute jump – it’s scary, but then you land and it’s all OK.
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“I think that’s what comedy is for – getting us over taboo subjects so they’re not scary any more. So I deal with everything. And I think we second guess the audience too much.”
However, US LGBT rights group Glaad labelled the show “dangerous”, “anti-gay” and “anti trans” after its release on Tuesday.
We watched the Ricky Gervais “comedy” special on Netflix so you don’t have to. It’s full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric & spreads inaccurate information about HIV. 1/4
Attention Ricky and Netflix: people living with HIV today, when on effective treatment, lead long and healthy lives and cannot transmit HIV to others. U=U 2/4
Netflix has a policy that content “designed to incite hate or violence” is not allowed on their platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that. While Netflix is home to some groundbreaking LGBTQ shows, it refuses to enforce its own policy in comedy. 3/4
The LGBTQ community and our allies have made it very clear that so-called comedians who spew hate in place of humor, and the media companies who give them a platform, will be held accountable. Meanwhile, there are PLENTY of funny LGBTQ comedians to support. 4/4
“We watched the Ricky Gervais ‘comedy’ special on Netflix so you don’t have to,” they said. “It’s full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric and spreads inaccurate information about HIV.
“Netflix has a policy that content ‘designed to incite hate or violence’ is not allowed on their platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that. While Netflix is home to some groundbreaking LGBTQ shows, it refuses to enforce its own policy in comedy.
“The LGBTQ community and our allies have made it very clear that so-called comedians who spew hate in place of humor, and the media companies who give them a platform, will be held accountable. Meanwhile, there are PLENTY of funny LGBTQ comedians to support.”
Gervais’ remarks have also been heavily criticised on social media, including by many comedians on Twitter.
Comedians being transphobic contribute towards a culture of fear that makes trans people incredible marginalised & unsafe. I hate it when women’s safety is used as a straw man for these attacks cos I know of far more male comics who’ve assaulted women than trans people who have.
— Kiri Pr’chard-McLean (@kiripritchardmc) May 25, 2022
Well look, I watched it. It’s extremely dispiriting to see a large audience laugh at something so trite, unoriginal and needlessly antagonistic. trans rights are in the toilet in this country and @rickygervais is a part of that. anyway 0/10. terrible stuff. get a writer.
Many also took the opportunity to repost an old set from British comic James Acaster, lampooning established comedians for taking aim at the trans community.
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Come on, hands up – who’s ready to put their feet up and enjoy laying low over Easter? The four-day bank holiday weekend is finally upon us, and we can’t be the only ones who feel like it can’t have come soon enough.
If you’re among those planning to use their time to rest up at home, you’re in luck, because there’s a string of films both old and new for pretty much everyone to enjoy.
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To save your channel-hopping, here’s our guide to 22 films being shown on telly over Easter, and when to watch them…
Hop
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When’s it on? Good Friday at 10.15am on ITV2
Tell me more: A young rabbit named E.B. announces he doesn’t want to follow in his predecessors’ footsteps by becoming the Easter Bunny, and instead wants to pursue his dream of becoming a drummer.
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Even more random than that plot is the fact the animated bunny is voiced by Russell Brand, with live-action appearances from James Marsden and Chelsea Handler – not to mention some extremely cute chicks.
Recommended for: At this time of year? Everyone! Come on, who doesn’t want to kick off Easter weekend with this sweet story?
Matilda
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When’s it on? Good Friday at 2pm on ITV
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Tell me more: Six-year-old Matilda is unappreciated by her neglectful parents and mistreated by the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull, finding solace in books. She has some fun of her own and schemes to get her own back when she discovers that, in addition to her superior intellect, she also possesses telekinetic powers.
Recommended for: To be honest, we’re struggling to think of a time we wouldn’t recommend the cosy and pure magic of Matilda.
Space Jam
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When’s it on? Good Friday at 2.15pm on ITV2
Tell me more: Get ready for a serious dose of nostalgia. Perhaps the most 90s film to ever exist, Space Jam mixes space travel, basketball and Looney Tunes, with some impressive A-list cameos including Bill Murray and, of course, sports icon Michael Jordan.
Recommended for: Anyone who was disappointed by the 2021 Space Jam sequel and needs to remind themselves of what it was they loved so much about the original film.
King Of Kings
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When’s it on? Good Friday at 2.30pm on BBC Two
Tell me more: It wouldn’t be Good Friday without some class of biblical epic airing on the BBC in the middle of the afternoon, would it?. This year they’re showing King Of Kings, with Jeffrey Hunter and Rip Torn in the lead roles of Jesus and Judas.
Clocking in at just under three hours, it’s a bit of a bum-number, but it pales in comparison to The Greatest Story Ever Told, which goes for four hours and 20 minutes in total.
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Recommended for: If you’re already on a bit of a chocolate-induced sugar high and you need some help settling down for the afternoon.
Ice Age
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When’s it on? Good Friday at 4pm on ITV2
Tell me more: A snow-covered family favourite that started a whole animated franchise, Ice Age introduces us to a sloth, saber-tooth tiger and wooly mammoth who team up to help return a lost human baby to his tribe.
Unlike a lot of animated films, the voice cast were encouraged to improvise during the recording process, which helped provide some of the humour that helped make Ice Age a favourite for all generations when it debuted 20 (!!) years ago.
Recommended for: If the bank holiday weather doesn’t quite work out in your favour and you decide to just lean into the cold.
Tell me more: Often held up as one of the best films of all time, Back To The Future introduces us to high school student Marty McFly, who winds up being catapulted back in time to the 50s thanks to mad scientist Doc Brown and his souped-up DeLorean.
Recommended for: Anyone who has somehow made it this long without watching Back To The Future.
Tell me more: Written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, this historical drama centres around Queen Victoria in the early years of her reign, shining a light on her turbulent relationship and her romance with the eventual Prince Albert.
Alongside Emily Blunt in the lead role, the cast also boasts appearances from Jim Broadbent, Miranda Richardson and Paul Bettany.
Recommended for: Those who can’t quite hang on for season five of The Crown for a taste of royal drama and scandal.
Tell me more: Speed was a breakthrough moment for Sandra Bullock when it was released in the 90s. She and Keanu Reeves play passengers who find themselves on board a bus that has been rigged by terrorists to explode if it goes beneath 50mph in this fast-paced action thriller.
Recommended for: If you’ve been watching animated family favourites all day, and need something a bit more high-stakes.
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Skyfall
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When’s it on? Good Friday at 8pm on ITV2
Tell me more: Skyfall is the third of Daniel Craig’s five outings as James Bond, and is often considered by fans of the 007 franchise to be the best of the bunch. This instalment sees Bond squaring off against former MI6 agent turned cyberterrorist Raoul Silva, while Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw also make their debut appearances in the franchise in the film.
Recommended for: Anyone whose idea of a good Friday night includes big explosions, chase scenes, shock twists and generally being shaken (but not stirred).
Whiplash
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When’s it on? Good Friday at 9pm on BBC Three
Tell me more: This seriously intense Oscar-winning film centres around an ambitious jazz drummer who is pushed to the extreme by his ruthless (and, at times, abusive) teacher, played by JK Simmons.
Recommended for: Anyone who wasn’t put through the trauma of school band rehearsals and wants a taste of what it was like.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
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When’s it on? Good Friday at 10.40pm on BBC One
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Tell me more: In The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a group of British pensioners decide to ditch the humdrum of retirement in Blighty and embrace the new by moving to a new residence in India, with romance and drama ensuing.
If that doesn’t convince you, the cast includes Dame Judi Dench, Dev Patel, Dame Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Celia Imrie.
Recommended for: If you want something gentle to wind down to after a hectic Good Friday.
Joker
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When’s it on? From Good Friday onwards on Netflix
Tell me more: Joaquin Phoenix won an Oscar for his portrayal of the titular supervillain in this complete rewrite of the Joker’s backstory.
Joker draws heavily on the work of Martin Scorsese, which means there’s considerably more graphic violence and unsettling action than you might expect from a DC Comics adaptation, but despite polarising reviews at the time, the film was hugely successful upon its release in 2019.
Recommended for: If you want the complete opposite of something gentle to wind down to after a hectic Good Friday.
Jason And The Argonauts
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When’s it on? Saturday at 9.50am on Channel 4
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Tell me more: A true cult classic from the 60s (Mr Hollywood himself Tom Hanks once named it his favourite film ever), fantasy adventure Jason And The Argonauts reimagines stories from Greek mythology with a mix of live-action and stop-motion animation.
Recommended for: Those who want to kickstart their Saturday morning with some old-school adventure.
Shrek 2
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When’s it on? Saturday at 4.10pm on ITV2
Tell me more: Probably the best offering from the surprisingly-elaborate Shrek universe, this film picks up where the first film left off with Shrek and newly-permanent ogre Fiona adjusting to married life.
We could go on and on about the plot, but realistically you’ve already seen this film 100 times and know full well it’s all about the Fairy Godmother’s musical number.
Recommended for: Literally everyone. Enjoy!
Captain Marvel
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When’s it on? Saturday at 9.25pm on Channel 4
Tell me more: Captain Marvel is the first female-led film in the MCU, and what a best foot forward it was. Oscar winner Brie Larson takes the lead in this action adventure, which also boasts appearances from Samuel L Jackson, Lashana Lynch and Jude Law.
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Recommended for: Marvel fans who still have a few films to check off their ever-growing MCU list.
Hot Fuzz
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When’s it on? Saturday at 10.40pm on ITV
Tell me more: The second (and biggest) film in Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright’s “Cornetto trilogy” the police comedy sees Simon and regular co-star Nick Frost teaming up to play a pair of coppers investigating grisly murders in a West Country village. We promise it’s funnier than it sounds.
Recommended for: Anyone who just needs a good chuckle.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
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When’s it on? Easter Sunday at 3.25pm on ITV2
Tell me more: One of the most beautiful stories of unlikely friendship ever shown on screen, E.T. became the biggest box office smash of all time when it debuted in the 1980s.
The film introduces us to Elliott, a young boy whose life is turned upside down when he befriends a lost alien who has crash-landed on earth.
Recommended for: Anyone, as long as you’re prepared to cry your eyes out in those final moments.
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The Lion King
When’s it on? Easter Sunday at 5.45pm on BBC One
Tell me more: Undoubtedly one of the most shining jewels in the Disney renaissance crown, this animated classic is a rough retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet as told through animals in the Pride Lands of Africa.
With stunning animation, unforgettable music (by Sir Elton John, no less!) and some of the most iconic characters in Disney history, it’s a film everyone should watch at least once.
Recommended for: The term “fun for all the family” gets thrown around a lot, but The Lion King truly is.
Spectre
Jonathan Olley/Columbia/Eon/Danjaq/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock
When’s it on? Easter Sunday at 8pm on ITV2
Tell me more: What, did you think the long weekend was only going to have one James Bond film on TV? Don’t be silly.
Skyfall follow-up Spectre introduces Andrew Scott (otherwise known as Fleabag’s Hot Priest) as 007’s new adversary Max Denbigh, with Sam Mendes returning as director.
Recommended for: If Skyfall piqued your interest on Good Friday.
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Shrek
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When’s it on? Easter Monday at 2.05pm on ITV
Tell me more: Pretty much throwing out the fairytale rulebook, Shrek helped put Dreamworks on the map, and made sure they were the go-to for family comedy over Disney in the 2000s.
In the first film of the series, we meet grumpy ogre Shrek, who is furious to find his isolated swamp has been overrun by fairytale creatures, after they’re all banished by Lord Farquaad.
Recommended for: When you enjoyed Shrek 2 so much two days earlier, you want to go back and watch the first film. No, we’ve got no idea why ITV is showing them in this order, either, but let’s not question it.
Beauty And The Beast
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When’s it on? Easter Monday at 2.30pm on BBC One
Tell me more: Remember how many times you watched Disney’s animated Beauty And The Beast when you were growing up? Well, this is the slightly-less-good live-action version, with Emma Watson as Belle. If ever there was proof of the power of great animation, it’s comparing this film’s photo-real Mrs Potts with the version we all knew and loved from the 90s.
Recommended for: Disney devotees, for sure. But if you’ve never seen the original, we’d probably start there.
Spider-Man
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When’s it on? Easter Monday at 6.35pm on ITV2
Tell me more: Long before Tom Holland and even Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire swung into action (literally) as Spidey. This was the film that started it all, introducing us to Peter Parker as he’s bitten by a radioactive spider and slowly discovers his unusual abilities.
Recommended for: Any Marvel fans who want some nostalgia from those pre-MCU days.
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No one could ever dispute Meryl Streep’s acting chops, but who knew she was also the queen of improv?
Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay has shared a compilation of clips of the multiple Oscar-winning star on the set of the Netflix hit showing off her “breathtaking” improvisation skills.
Meryl, who plays a Trump-esque US president in the climate crisis metaphor movie, ditched the script for one particular scene where she is seen on the phone in the Oval Office.
Adam reveals he filmed “20 to 25 completely different absurd phone calls” of the actor, which he described as “tour de force of improv”, and after seeing the clip, we’ve got to agree.
In a widely-shared clip from the hour-long show, Carr joked about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost” before making a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of Travellers at the hands of the Nazis as a punchline.
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Carr has received widespread criticism over the remarks, with calls for Netflix to remove the joke and sparking petitions calling on him to apologise.
On Saturday evening, Only Connect host Victoria took to Twitter to defend her “close friend”, saying Carr was “a properly decent person”.
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“While I’m here, might take a moment to mention I also love @JimmyCarr, a close friend who’s made about a thousand jokes I wouldn’t make myself, as a stage performer, but as a man is full of goodness and kindness,” she said.
While I’m here, might take a moment to mention I also love @JimmyCarr, a close friend who’s made about a thousand jokes I wouldn’t make myself, as a stage performer, but as a man is full of goodness and kindness. He’s a properly decent person.
When one unimpressed follower asked: “Do you think you would be similarly quick to defend him if he’d made a joke defending the murder of Jews in the Holocaust?”, Victoria responded: “Yes. It’s not about the joke.”
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Others pointed the presenter towards comedian David Baddiel’s response to Carr’s comments.
The comedian had pointed out the difference between cruel jokes about the Holocaust and ones that target the oppressors.
“I said this every night during my Trolls: Not The Dolls tour as part of a bit arguing that it’s not the subject matter of a joke that counts, it’s the specifics of the individual joke. Clearly, Jimmy Carr’s was the former,” he said.
I said this every night during my Trolls: Not The Dolls tour as part of a bit arguing that it’s not the subject matter of a joke that counts, it’s the specifics of the individual joke. Clearly, Jimmy Carr’s was the former. pic.twitter.com/xI4yWt9U0T
This is the joke I was leading to, which is, unlike Jimmy’s, I think defensible. Meanwhile, away from stupid discussions about the limits of comedy, my sympathies are with the Roma and Sinti community who suffered so much during the Holocaust. pic.twitter.com/GEC5u1HgYI
As a footnote, I’d add that Jimmy is a close friend of mine and a brilliant stand-up in general. Makes no difference to how I feel or think about this specific joke.
David added: “As a footnote, I’d add that Jimmy is a close friend of mine and a brilliant stand-up in general. Makes no difference to how I feel or think about this specific joke.”
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Meanwhile, Judge Rinder star Robert Rinder labelled Carr and the audience at his Netflix special who “clapped, whooped and cheered” over the joke, “complete incorrigible turds”.
Robert, who is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, made his feelings clear during a panel discussion about the hour-long special on Talk Radio
Jimmy Carr’s ‘joke’ suggesting the systematic genocide of gypsies during the Holocaust was a ‘good thing’ is breathtakingly racist. The truly disturbing thing isn’t just the gag, it’s that on hearing it, instead of leaving, the audience clapped, whooped and cheered in approval👇🏻 https://t.co/tlsbVYIpa9
In a follow-up tweet posted on Saturday, Robert said the comedian’s comment was “breathtakingly racist” and reiterated his dismay at the audience’s reaction.
“Jimmy Carr’s comments, no one can call that, you know, snowflake or wokeishness, that’s just… it was just appalling,” Dorries said during an interview on BBC Breakfast.
Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr’s “vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material”.
HuffPost UK has contacted Carr’s reps for comment.
Robert Rinder has labelled Jimmy Carr and the audience at his Netflix special who “clapped, whooped and cheered” over a joke he made about the Traveller community and the Holocaust, as “complete incorrigible turds”.
In a widely-shared clip from the His Dark Material show, Carr joked about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost” before making a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of Travellers at the hands of the Nazis as a punchline.
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Robert, who is best known as TV’s Judge Rinder and is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, made his feelings clear during a panel discussion about the hour-long special on Talk Radio on Friday.
“I’ve got to say Jimmy Carr, I’m not going to repeat the joke, or anybody in the audience who whooped and clapped at a joke about the genocide of Travellers and gypsies, you are all, complete incorrigible turds,” he said.
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Middle class comedians can do irony and clever boundary pushing so it’s ‘ok.’ Let’s imagine the reaction to this joke had it been filmed at a working men’s club to a cheering whooping audience. https://t.co/tlsbVYIpa9
In a tweet posted on Saturday, Robert said the comedian’s comment was “breathtakingly racist” and reiterated his dismay at the audience’s reaction.
“Jimmy Carr’s “joke” suggesting the systematic genocide of gypsies during the Holocaust was a “good thing” is breathtakingly racist,” he tweeted.
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“The truly disturbing thing isn’t just the gag, it’s that on hearing it, instead of leaving, the audience clapped, whooped and cheered in approval.”
Jimmy Carr’s ‘joke’ suggesting the systematic genocide of gypsies during the Holocaust was a ‘good thing’ is breathtakingly racist. The truly disturbing thing isn’t just the gag, it’s that on hearing it, instead of leaving, the audience clapped, whooped and cheered in approval👇🏻 https://t.co/tlsbVYIpa9
In a second tweet, the former Strictly star said that “middle class comedians can do irony and clever boundary pushing so it’s ‘ok’”.
“Let’s imagine the reaction to this joke had it been filmed at a working men’s club to a cheering whooping audience,” he added.
Carr has received widespread criticism over the remarks, with calls for Netflix to remove the joke and sparking petitions calling on him to apologise.
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Roberts tweet came after Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries condemned the remarks during an interview on Saturday’s BBC Breakfast, suggesting that new laws would hold to account streaming sites from airing jokes.
Dorries suggested that in the future, new laws would “hold Netflix to account” for such content.
Nadine Dorries
Future Publishing via Getty Images
“We are looking at legislation via the Media Bill which would bring into scope those comments from other video on-demand streaming outlets like Netflix,” she said.
“So it’s interesting that we’re already looking at future legislation to bring into scope those sort of comments.”
The MP said Carr’s comments were “abhorrent and they just shouldn’t be on television”, but it was then put to her that in a tweet in 2017 she had claimed that “left-wing snowflakes are killing comedy”.
She said: “Well, that’s not comedy.
“What Jimmy Carr did last night is not comedy. And you know, I’m no angel on Twitter, nobody is, but I just would like to say that nothing I’ve ever put on Twitter has been harmful or abusive.
“But that last night… Jimmy Carr’s comments, no one can call that, you know, snowflake or wokeishness, that’s just… it was just appalling.”
Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr’s “vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material”.
I have written urging Netflix to remove Jimmy Carr’s vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material.
I have also requested an update from @DCMS on progress to bring streaming platforms under Ofcom regulation.
Nadine Dorries has suggested new laws would hold to account streaming sites from airing jokes such as those made by Jimmy Carr about the Traveller community and the Holocaust.
During an interview on Saturday’s BBC Breakfast, the Culture Secretary condemned the comic’s joke made during his one-hour Netflix special, His Dark Material, as “shocking, abhorrent and unacceptable.”
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Carr issued a “trigger warning” to the audience at the beginning of the Netflix show, admitting his performance contained “terrible things”.
In a widely-shared clip from the show, the comedian joked about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost” before making a disparaging remark about the deaths of thousands of Travellers at the hands of the Nazis as a punchline.
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Nadine Dorries and Jimmy Carr
Dorries suggested that in the future, new laws would “hold Netflix to account” for such content.
“We are looking at legislation via the Media Bill which would bring into scope those comments from other video on-demand streaming outlets like Netflix,” she said.
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“So it’s interesting that we’re already looking at future legislation to bring into scope those sort of comments.”
The MP said Carr’s comments were “abhorrent and they just shouldn’t be on television”, but it was then put to her that in a tweet in 2017 she had claimed that “left-wing snowflakes are killing comedy”.
She said: “Well, that’s not comedy.
“What Jimmy Carr did last night is not comedy. And you know, I’m no angel on Twitter, nobody is, but I just would like to say that nothing I’ve ever put on Twitter has been harmful or abusive.
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“But that last night… Jimmy Carr’s comments, no one can call that, you know, snowflake or wokeishness, that’s just… it was just appalling.”
She said the comments were “shocking and abhorrent and unacceptable, not just because he was making fun on the basis of people who died in the most appalling circumstances, but on the pain and suffering of many thousands of families”.
In a separate interview with Times Radio, she said: “We don’t have the ability now, legally, to hold Netflix to account for streaming that but very shortly we will.”
Asked on Sky News if there was any way this new law would put restrictions on free speech, she said: “No, absolutely not. We’ve been very, very… well because I’m a Conservative, I’ve been very, very careful about that.”
In a tweet, Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, has also urged Netflix to remove Carr’s “vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material”.
I have written urging Netflix to remove Jimmy Carr’s vile anti-GRT and antisemitic material.
I have also requested an update from @DCMS on progress to bring streaming platforms under Ofcom regulation.
The Traveller Movement, a charity supporting the traveller community in the UK, said: “This is truly disturbing and goes way beyond humour.”
In a tweet, the charity said: “We need all your support in calling this out #StopTravellerHate @StopFundingHate.”
The charity has launched a petition to Netflix calling for the “removal of the segments of His Dark Material which celebrates the Romani genocide”.
The not-for-profit organisation the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust shared a statement on Twitter from their CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman who was “horrified” to hear “gales of laughter” following Carr’s remarks.
Hope Not Hate, the anti-fascism and anti-racism campaigning group, also condemned the comedian’s joke on Friday.
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In a tweet, they said: “Comedy is an amazing tool for progressive change and it’s such a shame that @jimmycarr decided to use his platform to celebrate the murder of one of the most marginalised groups in society.”
The Auschwitz Memorial called for Carr to “learn about the fate of some 23 thousand Roma & Sinti deported to Auschwitz” in a tweet to their 1.2 million followers.
They added: “It’s sad to hear words that can fuel prejudice, hurt people & defile memory of their tragedy.”
HuffPost UK has contacted Carr’s reps for comment.
Anwar Hussein via Getty ImagesPrincess Diana and Jemima Khan in Pakistan together in 1996
Screenwriter and journalist Jemima Khan has revealed she stopped working on the behind-the-scenes team of The Crown over concerns about its depiction of Princess Diana.
Jemima – who knew Princess Diana personally – was invited by the Netflix drama’s creator Peter Morgan to help pen its forthcoming fifth season, which will depict the late Princess of Wales’ final years.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, she noted that it was “really important to me that the final years of my friend’s life be portrayed accurately and with compassion, as has not always happened in the past”.
She explained: “In 2019, Peter Morgan asked me to co-write on the fifth series of The Crown, particularly those episodes which concerned Princess Diana’s last years before she died.
“After a great deal of thought, having never spoken publicly about any of this before, I decided to contribute.”
However, after working on The Crown for around five months, Jemima noted that she eventually “realised that particular storyline would not necessarily be told as respectfully or compassionately as I had hoped” and bowed out.
Anwar Hussein via Getty ImagesJemima Khan had concerns about how Diana will be portrayed in the upcoming season of The Crown
“[I] requested that all my contributions be removed from the series and I declined a credit,” she added.
A spokesperson for The Crown said (via the Standard): “Jemima Khan has been a friend, fan and a vocal public supporter of The Crown since season one.
“She has been part of a wide network of well-informed and varied sources who have provided extensive background information to our writers and research team — providing context for the drama that is The Crown. She has never been contracted as a writer on the series.”
