Streatham High Road – branded a “sh**hole” by Jo Brand on national television - was the mistaken butt of a joke about the Olympics, a comedian has explained.
Many within the community were outraged after the 54-year-old comic made the comment on the BBC’s Have I Got News For You programme, which broadcast on Sunday, April 22.
But Humphrey Ker, a panellist on the current affairs comedy panel show, revealed to the Streatham Guardian today he meant to reference Stratford High Street, in east London, when producers played an image of Koreans marching.
The joke was a rejoinder to Ian Hislop, who quipped Kim Jong-un’s testing of rockets last week may have been organised to mark 100 days until the London 2012 games.
Commenting on the footage of the march, Ker said: “Imagine that coming down Streatham High Street.”
To which Brand replied: “Do you live in Streatham? Don’t even pass through there. It’s a s**thole.”
The incident was cut from the final edit of the BBC One show, but was left in the extended version available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Mr Ker, who lives in Shepherd’s Bush, said he only realised the mistake when he watched the show back.
He said: "I should have said Stratford because we were talking about the Olympics.
"My suspicion is if I had said any other part of London, [Jo] would have said something."
Councillors and public officials reacted angrily to Brand’s comments, claiming she had inflicted “serious damage” on the town.
But Mr Ker defended Brand, saying she was “absolutely right” not to apologise.
He said: “I understand people should feel like that about the place they live but it was a joke. It was not meant to be genuinely malicious.
“No one is going on Have I Got News For You making a serious political statement.
“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the people who are saying these things have made a flippant comment at some time about a place in London.
“It was not her chance to grind an axe about a particular place.”
Brand’s agent, Vivienne Clore, implied yesterday she was bored by complaints from residents.
She posted on Twitter: "Wouldnt believe the number of emails i have had from streathamites. Yawn" (sic).
In a second tweet, referring to the outrage over Brand's remarks, she said: "To be honest no one really cares until the papers stir it up."
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