Renowned entertainment reporter Peter Ford has criticised comedians who ridiculed the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump on a popular TV quiz show.
Several panelists joked about the incident during an episode of Channel Ten’s Have You Been Paying Attention, which aired last Monday night.
The former US president miraculously survived the shooting he planned during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 14.
Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired 20 rounds from a rooftop 400 feet from the stage, hitting Trump in his right ear.
The terrifying incident claimed the life of 50-year-old father Corey Comperatore, an innocent bystander at the rally.
Less than 48 hours later, a photo of a bloodied Trump appeared on HYBPA’s screens, moments after the chaos had broken out. Host/quizmaster Tom Gleisner asked the celebrity guests if they knew what had happened.
Stand-up comedian Anne Edmonds immediately pressed the button and responded quickly.
“A very bad shot,” she replied.
Stand-up comedian Anne Edmonds (pictured) made a joke last week during an episode of the popular Channel Ten TV show Have You Been Paying Attention
The audience burst into laughter and cheers until fellow comedian Sam Pang gave the correct answer a moment later.
“He was shot at Tom…attempted murder,” he said.
Ed Kavalee, radio host at 2Day FM and regular panelist, couldn’t resist making a joke about Trump’s wife.
“I believe they found the shooter…Melania on the grassy knoll,” he joked.
Ford, who has reported on entertainment news on radio and television for decades, went to X to express his disappointment.
“Innocent man died, yet it’s still seen as comedy material,” he fumed.
Fellow comedian and radio host Sam Pang (pictured) joined the discussion a little later to provide the correct answer
Dozens of viewers on social media agreed, calling the joke ill-considered.
“Shameful and disrespectful, but they got a chance to laugh and felt good about themselves,” one person wrote.
“As someone with a very dark sense of humor and who isn’t easily offended, I would objectively say this was just a lame joke,” wrote someone else.
Others called for the incident to be reported to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
However, some said the joke should be seen as a form of humor.
It’s so nice to be able to turn the news into a comedy without caring what some people think. [Americans] “Think about it,” someone wrote.
Ford responded, saying the joke failed to make it clear that a man had died in the incident.
“I doubt the family of the murdered man feels that way. It’s not about respecting Trump, it’s about accepting innocent lives that have been changed.
Entertainment reporter Peter Ford (pictured) expressed his disappointment over the prank on social media
The former US president (pictured) miraculously survived after shots were fired by a would-be assassin at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 14
It has now become known that the clip with the offensive comments has been removed from the episode’s streaming platform.
“The show is filmed 24 hours before it airs. They had plenty of time to think about the show!” Ford added later.
Have You Been Paying Attention is a comedy quiz show that first aired in 2013 and celebrated its 300th episode last Monday night.
The program features five guests who compete against each other to answer questions about the biggest news events of the week.