Comedy star Dara Ó Briain has denied criticising the BBC over a recent announcement that quiz shows such as Mock the Week will drop the practice of booking all-male panels.
Earlier this month the BBC’s director of television, Danny Cohen, said the broadcaster needed to do more to include woman comedians in its output.
A number of outlets have today claimed Ó Briain criticised that policy, quoting extracts from an interview he gave to the Radio Times.
However on Twitter the comedian and School of Hard Sums presenter said he had been misquoted and that he objected to the BBC’s announcement, not the policy itself.
He told followers that while he supported the move to include more female comedians in shows, he believed the BBC was wrong to announce the policy change because it could look as if women who appear in future had been booked “because of an edict.”
He said: “I have no problem with a policy of no all-male panel shows. I just wouldn’t have announced it.”
“The same very funny women will be on all these shows and don’t deserve anyone to regard that booking as being because of an edict.”
