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Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Tom Bryant

Jimmy Carr to return for new series of Channel 4 show despite fury over Holocaust joke

Jimmy Carr has been rewarded with a new TV series despite recent fury over his offensive Holocaust joke.

The comedian's Netflix special His Dark Material sparked outrage but he's been told by Channel 4 bosses that they're recommissioning his game show I ­Literally Just Told You.

The broadcaster announced a run of eight episodes of the show - which first aired in December last year - and an executive has defended Carr's right to tell offensive jokes.

Channel 4 chief Ian Katz commented recently: "I defend the rights of com­edians to make offensive jokes and if they can't, then comedy is dead."

Jimmy Carr attracted criticism last month for a joke he made during his Netflix stand-up special (Getty Images)

He added: "Jimmy hasn't espoused any views at odds with C4 values and just as we as a broadcaster exist to serve and represent a wide range of communities, we should always be home to the widest range of voices."

Speaking to trade website Broadcast, Katz said Channel 4 wouldn't have aired the joke about the genocide of gypsies that featured in the special as it would fall foul of the Ofcom code.

Katz commented: "It's hard to make hard and fast sweeping statements."

He's set to return as the host of game show I Literally Just Told You (Channel 4)

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"The Ofcom code states that material which may cause offence has to be justified by clear context and we make those calls day in, day out. It's really hard to generalise but you look at each show on its merits," he added.

Jimmy Carr: His Dark Material is described on Netflix as "finding humour in the darkest of places in this stand-up comedy special."

The streaming service adds: "This special features Jimmy's trademark dry, sardonic wit and includes some jokes which Jimmy calls 'career enders'."

The show was filmed before a live audience at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.

The comedian regularly appears on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and other shows (Getty Images)

The 8 Out of 10 Cats host, 49, sparked a furore with his off-colour joke questioning why people talk about Jewish victims of the Holocaust but not the many gypsies who were also exterminated by the Nazis. It concluded with a sick punchline.

As the clip began circulating on social media, several MPs and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust criticised Carr and called on Netflix to remove the special, with a spokesman for Boris Johnson condemning the joke.

Mr Katz said Carr did a "brilliant job" of hosting the first run of I Literally Just Told You So, as well as 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. I Literally Just Told You – created by Richard Bacon – will include two celebrity specials.

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