A former panellist on The Project has taken aim at the show over its handling of a controversial joke by a guest which sparked heavy backlash.
Queer comic Reuben Kaye was speaking about the hate he receives for his sexuality and for dressing up in drag – particularly from the Christian community – when he made the X-rated remark.
“I love Jesus, I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more,” Kaye quipped on Tuesday night, prompting a stunned reaction from host Waleed Aly and a giggle from co-host Sarah Harris.
The pair issued a grovelling on-air apology to their viewers the following day.
But comedian Em Rusciano, who has appeared both as a panellist and guest on the current affairs program over the years, took to Twitter on Thursday to claim Ten had “thrown (Kaye) under the bus”.
“I find it pretty hard to believe that (Reuben Kaye)’s joke that stopped a nation wasn’t script approved,” she tweeted.
“I’ve worked on The Project – VERY little is off the cuff! A tiny, tiny amount. They’ve flat out thrown him under the bus (in my opinion). Sorry, but someone had to say it.”
Rusciano, 44, followed up with another tweet in support of Kaye.
“They honestly don’t deserve him and his talent. I dunno if Australia deserves him! In the end, we always seem to champion the non-threatening and the mediocre.”
It comes as the Daily Mail Australia spoke to a source linked to The Project, who claimed the show used to prerecord the majority of its interview with “potentially controversial performers” such as Kaye.
“In the few cases (before) an interview like that would be done live, the hosts would normally be well primed beforehand,” the insider told the publication.
“If the interview was done live because that was the only time (Reuben Kaye) was available, why weren’t Sarah Harris and Waleed Aly more prepared? It’s yet another sign of the slipping professionalism on the show, the declining standards of 10, sloppiness and, frankly, their general slack approach.”
Aly and Harris both apologised to viewers on Wednesday night over the “needlessly offensive” joke.
“During a live interview last night, our guest told a joke which we know was deeply and needlessly offensive to many of you,” Aly started.
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“We want to acknowledge the particular offence and hurt that it caused our Muslim and especially our Christian viewers. Obviously, I understand how profound that offence was.”
Harris added: “Live TV is unpredictable. And when this happened in the last few moments of the show, it took us all by surprise, there wasn’t a lot of time to react in a considered way.”
Aly then said: “We weren’t expecting a comment like that to be made and we acknowledge the offence it caused. We are sorry.”
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