Gervais defends himself after prostitute joke
Comedian Ricky Gervais defended himself today after making a joke about the killing of prostitutes just weeks after five were murdered in Suffolk.
The award-winning comic, who is on tour with his live show Fame, recounted a story at his first venue in Glasgow about a time he was asked for his advice on becoming famous.
“Go out and kill a prostitute,” was his advice, he told the audience, before adding: “I won’t do this bit in Ipswich.”
Jim Duell, the father Tania Nicol (aged 19), who was one of the five victims of the Ipswich red-light killings, criticised the comedian’s remarks.
“These days they want to make a joke out of everything,” he told The Ipswich Evening Star.
“If this comedian is saying things like this he is trampling on a lot of emotions. I feel he’s just being uncaring, quite honestly.”
Gervais, who brings his show to Ipswich in March, today stressed that the conversation he referred to in the show happened five years ago, and he was talking about people who will do anything to become famous.
“I do want people to know that that happened five years ago and is not related to anything now,” he said.
“At that point I hadn’t considered whether I would or wouldn’t do it in Ipswich, but I probably won’t. It’s a sensitive issue.
“What has happened there is probably so overwhelming in people’s minds that they might think I am saying it now.
“That is the problem with comedy. A joke that is funny today can be a terrible faux pas tomorrow.”
Steve Wright (aged 48) of Ipswich has been charged with the murders of Ms Nicol, Gemma Adams (aged 25), Paula Clennell (aged 24), Anneli Alderton (aged 24) and Annette Nicholls (aged 29).
He is next due to appear before Ipswich Crown Court on May 1.
