Health Secretary Sajid Javid has hit out at Jimmy Carr to blast him over his controversial joke about the victims of the Holocaust who were members of the travelling community.
The 52-year-old politician has called for fans to boycott the 49-year-old amid a backlash against the star for comments he made in his Netflix comedy special His Dark Material.
Jimmy provoked outrage when he made light of the fact that thousands of members of the travelling community were murdered by the Nazi regime.
In his show, he says: “They never mention the thousands of gypsies that were killed by the Nazis. No one ever wants to talk about that, because no one ever wants to talk about the positives.”
The comment has been met with revulsion by many – with Mr Javid becoming the latest to express his disapproval, telling the Radio Times that Jimmy’s ‘joke’ is “horrid.”
He continued: “I think we all have a right to react to that, and one of the best ways anyone can react to that is show these platforms what they think about Jimmy Carr by not watching or listening to him, and that will send him a very strong message.”
Mr Javid’s call for a boycott comes after Jewish comedian David Baddiel blasted Jimmy’s Holocaust joke.
The 57-year-old said: “You can obviously tell a Holocaust joke that is cruel and inhumane and mean-spirited and racist.
“Or you can tell one that targets the oppressors, or draws attention to the fundamental evil of it, or shines and light on the humanity of the victims.
“It's not the subject matter of the joke that counts, it's the specifics of the individual joke. Clearly, Jimmy Carr's was the former.”
Gypsy Weddings star Paddy Doherty has argued that Jimmy should be questioned by police over his joke.
The 63-year-old told the Sunday Mirror: “He should be investigated by the police.
“That wasn't a joke. He's talking about mass murder being a positive – would he be allowed to say this about black people killed by the Ku Klux Klan?
“There's a level you don't go to. More than a million of my people were killed.”
Meanwhile, Jimmy himself has seemingly doubled down on his joke arguing that his stand up is an affront to ‘Cancel Culture’ and that he is defending freedom of speech.
He was on stage in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, when a member of the audience heckled him to ask: “Are we going to talk about the Holocaust?”
Jimmy replied, saying: “We are going to talk about cancel culture, the whole thing. We are going to talk about f***ing everything people. Relax.”
He later added: “We are speaking my friends in the last chance saloon. What I am saying on stage this evening is barely acceptable now.
“In ten years f***ing forget about it. You are going to be able to tell your grandchildren about seeing this show tonight.”
