Rosie Jones and Eddie Izzard used as unwitting hate-bait

Bigots have been triggered by a fake online poll saying that Rosie Jones has come top of a list of funniest British female comedians, followed by Eddie Izzard and Victoria Wood.

No source has been cited, nor any evidence apparent online of a real survey taking place, but the fake news has triggered more ableist and transphobic abuse on social media, which was never in danger of running out.  

A typical comment, from a user with two Union Jacks in his handle, was: ‘ Rosie Jones only gets airtime because she has cerebral palsy,  she's simply not funny and it's an insult to other female comedians, Eddie Izzard wasn't funny as a man, isn't funny as a woman and is an all round embarrassment.’

Some of the posts quote a website called Rankerz, which does not exist.  The website Ranker, where users can register a vote, has Victoria Wood at No1, Caroline Aherne at No2 and Jennifer Saunders at No3.

Published: 13 Sep 2024