A former panelist on The Project has sensationally claimed that a guest’s controversial Jesus joke was “script-approved” by the show’s producers, despite the hosts saying it was a “live TV” mistake that didn’t could have been predicted.
The left-leaning current affairs show is under fire after gay comedian and cabaret artist Reuben Kaye joked on Tuesday’s show that he admired Jesus Christ because “I love any man who can get fucked three days straight and come back for further”.
Co-host Sarah Harris laughed at the joke, which aired uncensored during the live broadcast, but fellow Muslim Waleed Aly seemed surprised.
The backlash from Muslims and Christians was swift and brutal, forcing the two presenters to issue a humiliating apology on air Wednesday as religious groups staged protests at Channel 10 headquarters.
Em Rusciano tweeted Thursday that he finds it “hard to believe” the offensive joke was not approved by the producers given his experience on the show, which he says includes “very little” improv with its carefully written live segments.
Former The Project panelist Em Rusciano (pictured) has sensationally claimed that a guest’s controversial Jesus prank was “script-approved” by the show’s producers, despite hosts saying it was a script error. “Live TV” that could not have been predicted.
The left-leaning current affairs show is under fire after gay comedian and cabaret artist Reuben Kaye (left) joked on Tuesday’s show that he admired Jesus Christ because “I love any man who can be nailed three days straight and come back for more.”
The backlash from Muslims and Christians was swift and brutal, forcing co-anchors Waleed Aly (left) and Sarah Harris (right) to issue a humiliating apology on air on Wednesday.
She accused The Project of throwing Kaye “under the bus” by distancing herself from Kaye and offering a bleak apology that emphasized how “deeply and unnecessarily offensive” the joke was.
“I find it pretty hard to believe that Reuben Kaye’s joke that stopped a nation was not approved by the script,” Rusciano tweeted.
‘I’ve worked on The Project, very little is improvised! A small, small amount. They have thrown it under the bus, in my opinion. I’m sorry, but someone had to say it.
In a follow-up tweet, Rusciano criticized the Australian media for elevating ‘mediocrity’ over ‘talented’ artists like Kaye.
“Honestly, they don’t deserve him or his talent,” he said.
‘I don’t know if Australia deserves it! In the end, we always seem to defend the non-threatening and the mediocre.’
Rusciano accused The Project of throwing Kaye “under the bus” by distancing himself from Kaye and offering a bleak apology emphasizing how “deeply and unnecessarily offensive” the joke was.
She tweeted Thursday that she finds it “hard to believe” the producers didn’t greenlight the offensive joke given her experience on the show, which she says includes “very little” improv with its carefully written live segments.
In a follow-up tweet, Rusciano criticized the Australian media for elevating ‘mediocrity’ over ‘talented’ artists like Kaye.
It comes after a member of The Project claimed that Channel 10’s flagship talk show was being torn apart by sloppy production values and editorial standards.
The ‘Jesus’ joke disaster would have been easily avoided in previous years, the source told Daily Mail Australia.
The insider said The Project used to pre-record 90 percent of all interviews with potentially controversial artists like Kaye, for the simple reason that they could edit anything offensive.
And on the occasion that a ‘nervous’ guest wasn’t available for a pre-recording, the hosts would be meticulously informed, allowing them to ‘neutralize any situation like that, step in if necessary and apologize if necessary… not laugh like Sarah Harris or sit stone faced as Waleed’.
But on Tuesday, Kaye’s prank aired live and uncensored with Harris doubling over with laughter while Aly looked shocked, sparking a firestorm.
It comes after a member of The Project claimed that Channel 10’s flagship talk show was being torn apart by sloppy production values and editorial standards. The ‘Jesus’ joke disaster would have been easily avoided in earlier years, when there were more safeguards, they said.
The hosts were quick to issue an apology the next day, but their gesture left viewers unmoved and calls continued to grow for the show to be cancelled.
The source said they “can’t understand” why the Reuben Kaye interview was not pre-recorded when it was an obvious “red flag interview”.
‘In the few cases [before] an interview like that would be done live, the hosts would normally be well prepared beforehand.
‘If the interview was done live because that was just the time [Kaye] was available, why weren’t Harris and Aly more prepared?
“It’s yet another sign of the declining professionalism on the show, Ten’s declining standards, carelessness and, frankly, his overall slack approach.”