IN RACE STORM
Outcry over Isis bomber Xmas ‘joke’ IT’S SIMON IN WONDERLAND
BBC bosses sparked a race storm over plans to show Catherine Tate’s comedy character Nan accusing a Muslim of being an Isis suicide bomber.
She spots him carrying a holdall and jokes that if has anger problems “we’re all in trouble”.
In their Christmas special called “Nanger Management’’, the foulmouthed pensioner lands in trouble with the law for attacking a blind charity collector.
She is forced to attend anger management classes as a result.
However, during one session, a Muslim man sporting a prayer cap and carrying a grey bag enters the room.
And when Nan spies him, she tells the group: “Alright. No sudden movements. If this one has got anger problems we’re all in trouble. I think we all just stay calm.”
When the man reveals he is a caretaker, she says: “Thank God for
BACKLASH: Catherine as Nan that. That was close.” Islamic groups are furious with the BBC for portraying Muslims as terrorists.
Birmingham Central Mosque chairman Mohammed Afzal said: “This is insulting in the current climate. People will not find this funny. It is tarnishing Muslims with the same brush as terrorists. It’s disgusting.”
A spokesman for the Islamic Centre of England said: “This is a very sensitive issue and will not be taken in a favourable way. It can just add unnecessarily to the problems.”
Last night a BBC spokesman said: “Nan is a comedy character well known to BBC audiences for her outrageous views, language and behaviour. Her views do not hold accord with a more enlightened world as the programme makes clear.” THE internet has stopped children believing in Santa, it was claimed. Research by hidemyass.com blamed search engines and children seeing parents shop online. SIMON Cowell got into the festive spirit on a family trip to Winter Wonderland. The X Factor boss and girlfriend Lauren Silverman tried the penguin dodgems, above, and helped son Eric into a toy car, below. Simon also found time for a helping of chips, left, in London’s Hyde Park. On Sunday, Simon tweeted a photo of 21-month-old Eric in his X Factor judge’s chair, joking: “Getting in some practice.”
Pictures: VANTAGE