Jack Whitehall doubles down on controversial Queen joke as comedian dismisses ‘Middle England hysteria’
Numerous complaints were filed with Ofcom in the aftermath
Jack Whitehall has performed a notable U-turn on his infamous 2012 joke about the Queen and Prince Philip, now brushing off the backlash as overblown outrage.
The comedian, who counts Princess Eugenie among his friends, branded those who lodged complaints with Ofcom as victims of “Middle England hysteria” during a conversation with American comedian Bill Maher.
Far from showing contrition, the Marlborough College-educated comic argued that the Royal Family deserve satirical scrutiny more than anyone.
“They should be, out of everyone, the most fair game,” he said. “You could not be more punching up.”
Jack Whitehall has performed a notable U-turn on his infamous 2012 joke about the Queen and Prince Philip, now brushing off the backlash as overblown outrage
The original controversy stemmed from Mr Whitehall’s appearance on Channel 4’s Big Fat Quiz of the Year in 2012, where his crude gag about Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip drew widespread condemnation from viewers.
In a pre-recorded joke about the Diamond Jubilee, Mr Whitehall said: “I have a theory. She [the Queen] didn’t sit down for the entirety of that thing, and people were talking about that. It was the day after the night of her anniversary and Prince Philip woke up with a urinary infection … I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking, people.”
Numerous complaints were filed with the broadcasting regulator in the aftermath.
By 2018, Mr Whitehall had struck a markedly different tone, acknowledging that the joke had caused distress to his own family and pledging to be “a lot more careful” going forward.
Queen Elizabeth II pictured at the Diamond Jubilee
That earlier remorse now appears to have evaporated entirely, replaced by a defiant insistence that “there’s definitely a sort of Middle England hysteria” surrounding jokes aimed at the monarchy.
Separately during the same “Club Random” podcast episode, Mr Maher took aim at fellow liberals whom he accused of being in a perpetual state of alarm over Donald Trump’s behaviour rather than his substantive policy decisions.
“If, at this point, 10 years into the Trump situation, you are still obsessing about his personality, my view is that’s on you,” the talk show host declared.
He stressed that scrutinising the president’s actual conduct in office remained essential, but argued that fixating on well-established personality traits was a futile exercise.
“I don’t care when he calls me names now. It’s the way he does it. It’s the way he talks. It’s who he is,” Mr Maher said.
Mr Maher proceeded to reel off a series of trivial President Trump-related controversies that he considered pointless distractions, including disputes over the White House reflecting pool, ballroom and lawn.
“You can have UFC fights. You can have sheep grazing there like one president did. You can do anything. Pickleball. I don’t give a s*** what you do on the lawn,” he said.
Anyone genuinely exercised by such matters, Mr Maher contended, had allowed the president to become the dominant force shaping their worldview. “Everything is about him. I’m not going there with you,” he added.
The host concluded by declaring “I’m winning,” noting that despite being personally targeted by Mr Trump, he cared less than many of the President’s most vocal critics. “Your life is all about Donald Trump. Mine isn’t.”
