Jo Brand, 61, has faced a huge backlash for her comments on the Heresy programme on BBC Radio 4 and has since apologised for her actions.
Although the comedian said she would never go through with the criminal act of violence, many have called for action, with Brexit party politician Nigel Farage, 55, stating the police should get involved with the matter.
Speaking on talkRADIO yesterday, This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes, 59, gave his thoughts on the matter and said it was “only a matter of time” until someone commits such an act.
Joined by psychotherapist and broadcaster Lucy Beresford, 54, Holmes explained if he were to speak of such a fantasy, he would be taken off-air.
“Well I’ll put it to you, if I was sitting here and light heartedly tried to replicate what Jo Brand said there, it wouldn’t be regarded as funny,” he began.
“Because I would tell you straight away, I would be taken off air.”
Holmes went on to say: “I like Jo Brand a lot, I think she’s very funny but you just cannot in this day and age, you know tell people like Katie Piper who was badly disfigured with acid being thrown at her that it’s funny, it’s a joke about replacing a milkshake with battery acid.”
Beresford added on the matter: “I think in the last three years when you had an MP murdered, it makes it very difficult to justify people saying certain things.
“However, we have to get to a point in society where you are allowed to almost say the unthinkable to push the boundaries.”
Disagreeing with the point, Holmes hit back: “No! Until somebody throws battery acid at Nigel Farage and then we’ll all be back to the BBC and Jo Brand what they should have done and who should have apologised for it.”
The This Morning star continued: “I think we’re in a completely different territory in this day and age and I think certain prominent politicians are now in the cross hairs for this sort of thing.
“And it’s only a matter of time before I would say someone is seriously damaged with this and then it all goes back to the BBC and Jo Brand.”
A BBC spokesperson has responded to the matter, telling press in a statement: “Heresy is a long-running comedy programme where, as the title implies and as our listeners know, panellists often say things which are deliberately provocative and go against societal norms but are not intended to be taken seriously.
“We carefully considered the programme before broadcast. It was never intended to encourage or condone violence, and it does not do so, but we have noted the strong reaction to it.
“Comedy will always push boundaries and will continue to do so, but on this occasion we have decided to edit the programme.”
The spokesperson concluded: “We regret any offence we have caused.”
Skinner said: “I think it is difficult to say anything in public life at all. When kids play Hangman, is that a devil may care attitude to capital punishment?
“I don’t think Jo, for one second, would want anyone to commit an act of violence – even against Nigel Farage.
“We live in a society where people find it much easier to say hate than love about anything.
“Especially on Twitter… It is a weird time at the moment where people are very angry about various things but you have got to have jokes.”
