...says Jack Dee

Jack Dee has promised that his new panel show will be more friendly to female comedians than the likes of Mock The Week.

Such shows have attracted controversy for the dearth of female panelists, with the likes of Tory MP Nadine Dorries claiming it demonstrated inherent sexism in the BBC.

But Dee says his new show – Don’t Sit In The Front Row – will be different.

‘We are going to show off female talent in a way other panel shows don’t,’ he said at the launch of Sky Atlantic’s new comedy line-up. ‘Apparently it’s become a bit of an issue.’

Female comics set to appear include Sue Perkins, Gina Yashere and Susan Calman – although men are not excluded, with Frank Skinner, Milton Jones and Rich Hall all taking part.

The show challenges the panelists to extract comic material from four audience members in the front row – who all previously volunteered for the role. However Dee insisted: ‘This is not an unkind show. It’s a panel show where the subject is people, which I think is nice.’

He added that he production team were keen to eliminate fame-seekers from those who volunteered for the front-row seats.

‘We don’t want people who want to launch their own careers in an X Factor way,’ he said. ‘They need to be comfortable in front of the camera but not have their own agenda.’

Published: 1 Jun 2012