Fans slam Peter Kay for mocking transsexuals in ad-libbed sitcom
PETER Kay fans criticised the bank holiday special of his popular sitcom Car Share as ‘cruel’ yesterday after the comedian mocked a transsexual woman.
Kay’s character, John, and Kayleigh, played by Sian Gibson, grimace and giggle at a story on their car radio about a woman who discovers her boyfriend is a ‘closet transsexual’.
During the unscripted episode of the Bafta-winning BBC1 show – about two colleagues in a company carsharing scheme – they pull faces as the radio announcer tells how the woman came home to find her partner, Gordon, dressed as a woman.
He is then beaten up by thugs and ends up in hospital because ‘ he couldn’t outrun them in high heels’.
John shrugs dismissively and
‘Hard to see this as a joking matter’
laughs, before suggesting that the accompanying song request of More Than A Woman was a joke. Angry viewers said the ad-libbed clip in Monday night’s programme, which was watched by 4.4million people, was ‘ignorant’ and ‘misjudged’.
One fan tweeted: ‘Tonight’s episode just felt outdated and cruel.’
A second said: ‘I’m a massive fan of Car Share, but the unscripted show just didn’t work. The cheap gag at the expense of trans people was ill judged and tainted the brilliant previous episodes. Shame.’
Another wrote: ‘Don’t like how @ peterkay_ co_ uk is speaking about transgender people on his Peter Kay Car Share. @BBCOne should be ashamed to even let this trans bashing air.’
A fellow viewer said: ‘Gone from watching a programme about acceptance and understanding of the trans and LGBTQ+ community to a bit of casual transphobia on Car Share.’ Campaigner Peter Tatchell criticised Kayleigh’s comment that Gordon’s girlfriend should have ‘pulled the tubes’ out while visiting him in hospital because of his secret life. He added: ‘Given the scale of violence against trans people, it is hard to see this as a joking matter. It would be better if the BBC made bigoted transphobes – not trans people – the butt of its jokes.’
The BBC declined to comment.