Dara O Briain Speaks Out On Women Comedians' 'Quota'

Chiswick comedian clarifies comments he made on male-only panel shows

Comedian Dara O Briain has clarified remarks made during a magazine interview after he was accused of criticising a new BBC policy of banning all-male panels.

The 'Mock The Week' host said in the Radio Times that the ban would cause viewers to see any female guest as a "token woman".

His comments followed BBC director of television Danny Cohen's pledge that the station was not going to have any more panel shows with no women on them.

Chiswick-based O Briain was quoted in the Radio Times interview saying that instead of dwelling on the representation of women in comedy, efforts would be better spent on tackling gender imbalances in other areas, such as the amount of women in computer coding.

But the Mock the Week host took to Twitter today (February 25) to say that his remarks had been taken out of context.

 “To clarify, yet again. I have no problem with a policy of no all-male panel shows. I just wouldn't have announced it.

“The same very funny women will be on all these shows and don't deserve anyone to regard that booking as being because of an edict.

“And while I could excitingly spend the entire day clarifying that, I must fly to Ireland instead to do a (non-all-male) panel show.”

February 25, 2014