Paddy Doherty has criticized Jimmy Carr for a “disturbing” joke about the death of members of the traveling community during the Holocaust.
The star of Celebrity Big Brother and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding slammed Carr over the routine in his latest Netflix stand-up special His Dark Material.
The comedian, known for his stand-up and roles on shows like 8 Out Of 10 Cats, issued a “trigger warning” to the audience at the beginning of his one-hour special, admitting his performance contained “terrible things”.
Read More:New law would see Netflix prosecuted over Jimmy Carr joke, says minister
In a widely-shared clip from the show, Carr joked about the horror of the Holocaust and “six million Jewish lives being lost”.
As a punchline, the 49-year-old then made a joke which made light of the murder of thousands of members of European traveler communities during the Second World War at the hands of the Nazis.
The comments were greeted with applause and laughter from the audience.
It sparked outrage from various traveler charities and anti-hate groups after a clip was shared on social media earlier this week.
Now, Mr Doherty, who lives in Chester but previously lived on the Riverside Caravan Park in Queensferry, has branded the comedian’s joke “disgusting” and “a different level”.
(Image: BBC)
He said: “How this fella has turned this into a joke is disgusting, it’s a different level.
“Travellers are the most hated people on the planet and what have we ever done to anyone, I don’t know.
“I am truly, truly disgusted”
Earlier this week, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman said: “We are absolutely appalled at Jimmy Carr’s comment about persecution suffered by Roma and Sinti people under Nazi oppression, and horrified that gales of laughter followed his remarks.
“Hundreds of thousands of Roma and Sinti people suffered prejudice, slave labour, sterilization and mass murder simply because of their identity – these are not experiences for mockery.”
Did you know we offer a free email newsletter service?
Each North Wales Live bulletin delivers the latest breaking news, what’s on events and the hottest talking points straight to your inbox.
For more information about how to subscribe click here.
The Traveler Movement, a charity supporting the traveler community in the UK, said: “This is truly disturbing and goes way beyond humour.”
In a tweet, the charity said: “We need all your support in calling this out #StopTravellerHate @StopFundingHate.”
The charity has launched a petition to Netflix calling for the “removal of the segments of His Dark Material which celebrates the Romani genocide”.
Netflix, which has been urged to remove the special, declined to comment. Carr has also not commented.