BBC defends Katherine Ryan’s ‘straight white man’ joke on All That Glitters after complaints
"We never set out to offend viewers with anything we show" a BBC rep said
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: BBC
The BBC has defended Katherine Ryan after a “straight white man” joke she made on All That Glitters: Britain’s Next Jewellery Star sparked complaints.
Katherine, known for shows like Hair and The Duchess, made the joke when Sri Lankan-born contestant Tamara was seen stressing over one of the challenges.
“You need to really back yourself,” Katherine told her. “Do you know how confident a straight white man would be right now?”
As a jewellery maker I was taken aback by this comment on the @bbc jewellery competition #allthatglitters.
Katherine Ryan talking to one of the competitors of Indian origin when she was struggling with a task.
‘Do you know how confident a straight white man would be right now.’ pic.twitter.com/GfxNaoS2er
— Chris_P (@PotataNonGrata) April 17, 2021
She continued: “Think about Boris Johnson, how pleased he’d be right now…”
The joke was broadcast on BBC Two on the 13 April 2021 episode of the show.
“We never set out to offend viewers with anything we show”
After some viewers filed complaints over the joke, a BBC rep said in a statement: “We were contacted by some viewers who were unhappy that Katherine Ryan made a joke about the confidence displayed by straight white men.
“Many viewers of this programme will be familiar with Katherine Ryan’s well-established style of comedy after multiple appearances on BBC comedy programmes over the years.
“Comedy is one of the most subjective areas of programming and we can assure you we never set out to offend viewers with anything we show.”
All That Glitters returns to BBC Two tomorrow at 8pm.
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