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James Robinson

North East woman who lost 10 family members in Holocaust demands Jimmy Carr show be removed from Netflix

A North East woman who lost 10 family members during the holocaust has blasted comedian Jimmy Carr over a 'joke' in a recent Netflix special.

Carr sparked widespread fury when a clip from his Netflix show His Dark Materials was shared widely on social media.

In the clip, the 49-year-old made a 'joke' which referenced the murder of up to half a million Roma and Sinti people under the Nazis.

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Gwen Lamb, who is Jewish, lost six cousins and four aunties and uncles during the Holocaust. Her relatives were "lined up and shot" in Maryampol in Lithuania between in 1939.

Gwen, who was born in Jesmond, said the comedian should "hang his head in shame" and called on Netflix to remove the programme.

She said: "Any joke about the Holocaust is disgusting and abhorrent to me and any other decent person.

"His Dark Materials on Netflix is still there. They must remove it. The Holocaust means an awful lot to a lot of people, they all have to be remembered and it should never be joked about.

"It was no laughing matter. People lost their lives, so many millions - they all went to the concentration camps together, and they died together.

"Shame on Jimmy Carr. It's got to be withdrawn."

Comedian Jimmy Carr has responded to his Holocaust 'joke' (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Netflix is not currently regulated by Ofcom, although there are plans for the UK regulatory body to bring it and other streaming sites under its remit.

At the moment, people in the UK can contact the Dutch Media Authority - the Commissariaat voor de Media - where Netflix is based.

Gwen, who now lives in Middlesbrough, has already contacted the CVDM with her concerns and is now awaiting a reply.

She added: "Netflix is not subject to Ofcom rules. I'm currently pleading with the CVDM to remove His Dark Materials. They've not done it yet.

"It's up to the Dutch authorities. I've emailed them and it didn't come back as the wrong address, so they've definitely got it.

"I've no idea if they will take it down, but I want them to. With enough pressure and support from the media I think they will in the end."

Referring to the holocaust, Gwen said: "This atrocity must never happen again. Jimmy Carr should hang his head in shame."

Meanwhile, Jimmy himself has seemingly doubled down on his joke arguing that his stand up is an affront to ‘Cancel Culture’ and that he is defending freedom of speech.

He was on stage at the Whitley Bay Playhouse when a member of the audience heckled him to ask: “Are we going to talk about the Holocaust?”

Jimmy replied: “We are going to talk about cancel culture, the whole thing. We are going to talk about f***ing everything people. Relax."

He later added: “We are speaking my friends in the last chance saloon. What I am saying on stage this evening is barely acceptable now.

“In ten years f****** forget about it. You are going to be able to tell your grandchildren about seeing this show tonight.”

Mr Carr's representatives have been contacted for comment

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