Who is Rosie Jones? Meet comedian at heart of Big Fat Quiz Of The Year row as she slams ‘ableist’ trolls after being branded ‘unsuitable’ for the show

Comedian Rosie Jones hit back at 'ableist' trolls after her Boxing Day appearance on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz Of The Year.

She was branded 'unsuitable' for the show after appearing alongside the likes of Katherine Ryan, Mo Gilligan, Richard Ayoade and Mel Giedroyc.

Many comments online claimed Ms Jones was on the program for 'box ticking', while others claimed they 'couldn't understand her'.

In response to the pile, the star took to Twitter to highlight the inability, writing: 'Rinse and repeat. Different television show, same old prowess. Thanks for the support, but I'm going to lay low for a while and sink into the perineum of Christmas and New Year.'

So who is the comedian at the center of it all? Read on to learn more about Rosie Jones and the controversy surrounding her inability.

She is a comedian, writer and actress who uses her cerebral palsy to enhance punchlines and says she can make jokes that other, healthy comedians couldn't make

Ms Jones appeared on the program alongside the likes of Katherine Ryan (seen with her), Mo Gilligan, Richard Ayoade and Mel Giedroyc

Who is Rosie Jones?

Rosie Jones is a British comedian, actress and writer from Bridlington, Yorkshire, born 24 June 1990.

She has ataxic cerebral palsy, meaning the condition affects her speech, movement and balance.

At the age of four, Rosie stood up in front of her new classmates at primary school and said, “Hi, I'm Rosie. I have cerebral palsy, which means I speak slowly and fall often. But otherwise I'm just like you.'

The condition has affected Ms. Jones' comedic style, using her slowed-down speech as a means to emphasize punchlines and surprise audiences.

She says she can make jokes that healthy colleagues can't when it comes to her cerebral palsy.

A few years after graduating from the University of Huddersfield, she took a screenwriting course at the National Film and Television School.

A year later, in 2016, she reached the final of the Funny Women Awards.

The comedian then wrote for 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Would I Lie To You? and sex education, but she made her name on screen.

Ms Jones' TV appearances began in 2019 on comedy panel shows such as Hypothetical, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and The Last Leg – for which she attended the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games as a reporter.

She made headlines in 2023, before the performance of Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, for the controversial name of her documentary: Am IAR*tard.

At the start of the documentary, Rosie addressed the controversy surrounding the title and why she wanted it to be retained.

The comedian said: 'This program contains a very shocking word. The 'R' word.

“I understand it will be upsetting to many, but I believe we need to confront this word and other ableist terms head-on so people realize how harmful it is.

'So I said to Channel 4, “let's use that word in the title and hopefully by the end of this film people will think twice before they ever use that word again.”

The rest of the program followed Ms Jones as she 'discovered how widespread disability trolling is in Britain, and why it often goes unchecked'.

The comedian also made the news in 2023 with the controversial title of her documentary: Am IAR*tard

Why was the comedian targeted after performing Big Fat Quiz Of The Year?

The comedian experienced 'ableist' trolling after her Boxing Day appearance on the 2023 edition of Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz Of The Year.

Following the episode, Rosie faced a barrage of cruel comments, with many insisting she was there for the 'ticking off', while others claimed they 'couldn't understand her'.

A slew of viewers flooded Twitter, with users writing: 'I don't find Rosie Jones funny, I like making fun of people with disabilities…'

“I didn't watch TBFQ because of Rosie Jones and Katherine Ryan. They're not funny…

'I never saw Rosie Jones on TV, but I heard her on the radio. Other comedians I can listen to in the background while cutting onions, etc., but with Rosie Jones I have to stop and concentrate or it's just noise. Is that competent?…

“Because Rosie Jones is such a comedy titan. She can put all this “is she funny” heresy to bed by simply responding to her critics. However, I imagine that just as she gets up, her punchline will be a bit off and slow, and it definitely won't be worth the wait…

'I wouldn't have a problem with it as a blind or wheelchair-using comedian. But communication is the crucial skill for TV work, and Rosie Jones' disability makes her unsuitable. She doesn't do it for free; the paying customer has the right to set expectations…

“I don't need to point this out, but a big part of comedy is based on timing. The delay with Rosie Jones while you work out the answer she will give is just beyond painful… This post is way funnier than anything Rosie Jones has ever said…

'The only time she's funny is when she dribbles down herself. She ruins every show she is driven to. Just a check mark [exercise].'

Ms Jones had recently responded to similar abuse after appearing at the Royal Variety Performance alongside the likes of Hannah Waddingham and Bradley Walsh.

What did Rosie Jones say in response to this?

Ms Jones responded to the “same old thing” and pointed out that she had experienced the same thing just a few weeks before attending a Royal Variety performance

A raft of viewers flooded Twitter after the programme, with one user writing: 'I don't find Rosie Jones funny, I like laughing at people with disabilities'

In response to the pile-up, the star took to X, formerly Twitter, to address the ability, writing: “Rinse and repeat. Different television show, same old prowess. Thanks for the support, but I'm going to lay low for a while and sink into the perineum of Christmas and New Year.'

She shared the message while reposting her December 18 tweet, a response to criticism of her aforementioned Royal Variety Performance.

That first post received support from fellow comedians Dawn French and Nish Kumar.

It read: 'Thank you for all the lovely messages about The Royal Variety last night, how lovely. Less thanks to the not so pretty one.

“Comedy is subjective and it's okay if I'm not your thing. But please remember the difference between personal preference and outright ability.”