Comedy news: BBC apologises for Frankie Boyle joke

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The BBC has apologised for a joke made by comedian Frankie Boyle almost two years ago. 

The BBC Trust, the body which acts as the final arbiter of complaints has upheld a finding against a joke Boyle made on Radio 4 comedy show Political Animal in June 2008 when Boyle compared Palestine with a cake being "punched to pieces by a very angry Jew".

Boyle said: 'I'm quite interested in the Middle East, I'm actually studying that Israeli army martial arts. And I know 16 ways to kick a Palestinian woman in the back.

'It's a difficult question to understand. I've got an analogy which explains the whole thing quite well: If you imagine that Palestine is a cake - well, that cake is being punched to pieces by a very angry Jew."

The comments were labelled ‘disgusting’ and ‘anti-semitic’ by a complainant who, Though the BBC had previously admitted that the use of the joke was  ‘inappropriate and offensive’, was concerned that the joke had been broadcast ‘without ringing any alarm bells’. 

In a statement the Trust  said: “In conclusion the committee stated that it was very sorry that the breach of editorial standards had occurred in this case, but was satisfied that no further action was required.”