And Blackadder’s on his side, too!

BLACKADDER star Rowan Atkinson says he found Boris Johnson’s burka comments funny – and has urged him not to apologise.

The comic actor, who found worldwide fame as Mr Bean, defended the former foreign secretary in a letter to The Times. Atkinson, 63, wrote: ‘As a lifelong beneficiary of the freedom to make jokes about religion, I do think that Boris Johnson’s joke about wearers of the burka resembling letter boxes is a pretty good one.’ He added: ‘All jokes about religion cause offence, so it’s pointless apologising for them. You should really only apologise for a bad joke. On that basis, no apology is required.’

The comedian had previously campaigned against proposed laws under Tony Blair’s government that aimed to ban incitement to religious hatred. He said they would threaten free speech, claiming opposing the laws was more than simply defending ‘some silly vicar jokes’. In 2004 he said: ‘The right to offend is more important than the right not to be offended.

‘Freedom of expression must be protected for artists and entertainers and we must not accept a bar on the lampooning of religion and religious leaders.

‘There is an obvious difference between the behaviour of racist agitators who can be prosecuted under existing laws, and the activities of satirists and writers who may choose to make comedy or criticism of religious belief, practices or leaders just as they do with politics.’