TV giant Graham Norton pushed back for joke storm comic’s sitcom: BBC condemns words of Vittorio Angelone while giving new show prime Friday night slot
A TV comedy starring a Belfast comedian criticised by rape crisis charities is to be shown by the BBC in a high profile slot next week, pushing back the enormously popular ‘Graham Norton Show’ to make way for it.
That’s even though the corporation simultaneously condemned Vittorio Angelone’s outrage-sparking joke referencing a woman who has spoken about being sexually assaulted.
The 30-year-old last month apologised for his controversial remark, with BBC Northern Ireland at the time stating it was “actively considering” issues raised in the storm around the stand-up as the airdate of a sitcom with him in a lead role neared.
Now that comedy show, ‘Rewarding’, has been slated for a prime Friday night slot on BBC1, followed by a repeat on BBC2 two days later.
Starting on November 13, episodes are due to be shown at 10.40pm on the broadcaster’s main channel.
That date is less than a month after Angelone was criticised by both Rape Crisis Northern Ireland and Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, who argued that “to treat sexual violence as a joke betrays a deep lack of understanding of what survivors have lived through”.
Billed as a sitcom set in Mid-Ulster’s premier private domiciliary care facility, ‘Rewarding’ is only being transmitted in Northern Ireland, not shown UK-wide.
Its slot means deviating from the Friday night schedule seen in other regions, however, including delaying entertainment giant Graham Norton’s chat show until after 11pm.
A repeat of its debut episode is then due to be broadcast on BBC2 Northern Ireland at 10.45pm on November 15.
So far only the first two episodes have publicly been given defined airdates and times, as schedules towards the end of this month and into December aren’t yet available.
But listings on the BBC’s website give controversial comic Angelone top billing in both.
An increasingly high profile name in the comedy world, the Belfast stand-up last year appeared on a podcast during which he referred to content creator Rebecca Goodwin while making a joke about rape. She had previously spoken publicly about being the victim of sexual assault.
A highlights clip containing that joke was posted on social media last month, spurring an outcry from rape crisis charities as well as many women in the entertainment industry.
In a statement to the News Letter, BBC Northern Ireland now condemned the comedian’s comments, a spokesman describing them as “unacceptable and wrong”.
He added: “They do not reflect BBC values and would have no place in our output. We are discussing the issues raised with the independent production company involved.”
The broadcaster did not confirm whether Angelone would be retained if ‘Rewarding’ is commissioned for a second series, and nor did it answer a question on how much publicity it plans to give the sitcom.
The News Letter understands, however, that the show was always slated to begin transmission this month, and BBC Northern Ireland isn’t currently working on any more projects with the comedian.
Last month Angelone apologised, stating he shouldn’t have made the joke and let his “need for validation supersede [his] own standards and morals”.
Ms Goodwin, saying she’s currently pregnant and was going through the stress of a court case to do with her alleged assailant, replied that Angelone’s apology was “acknowledged but not quite accepted due to the timelines of everything happening”.