UK broadcaster Sky removed John Oliver’s jokes abot the Queen from a recent episode of his show Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, it has emerged.
The HBO show aired in the US in full on Sunday 11 September. A shortened version was broadcast the following day in the UK and Ireland.
However, fans of the show were confused as to why the show had noticeable gaps in its UK and Ireland edition. It has since transpired that Oliver’s remarks about the Queen, who died on Thursday 8 September, were removed.
The Independent has contacted Sky for comment.
Deadline reports that the original show, which airs on HBO, contained jokes made by Oliver while he read out social tributes to the Queen.
“Obviously, we have to start with the UK, which is clearly still reeling from the shocking death of a 96-year-old woman from natural causes,” he apparently said during the original broadcast.
“It is a big moment this week and for some reason absolutely everyone felt they had to wade in on [it],” he continued, mocking tributes from the likes of pizza chain Dominos.
Later in the show he is reported to have made further jokes around the Queen’s death.
“The nicest thing the Queen of England ever did for anyone was die the week that woman became prime minister,” he apparently said in relation to the new Prime Minister Liz Truss.
“Because for at least a week, she’s not going to be getting justifiably destroyed for answers like that,” he continued seemingly referencing Truss’s comments defending energy firm’s surging profits.
One UK-based viewer wrote on Twitter: “Very disappointed in @SkyUK censorship of @LastWeekTonight with @iamjohnoliver - we condemn other countries for this sort of behaviour.
“The audience is used to his irreverent style and light hearted comments. The ‘target’ of his remarks was corporate social media!”
Another tweeted: “Dear @SkyUK , there was a VERY obvious edit in tonight’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - what gives? Presuming it was queen-related?”
Follow the latest updates following the death of Queen Elizabeth II here
