A former panelist on The Project has sensationally claimed that a guest’s controversial Jesus joke was “script-approved” by the show’s producers – despite the hosts saying it was a “live TV” blunder that wasn’t could have been predicted.
The left-wing current affairs program has come under fire after gay comedian and comedian Reuben Kaye joked on Tuesday’s show that he admired Jesus Christ because “I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more.”
Co-host Sarah Harris laughed at the joke, which aired uncensored during the live broadcast, but her Muslim colleague Waleed Aly looked shocked.
The backlash from Muslims and Christians has been swift and brutal, forcing the two presenters to apologize on air on Wednesday as religious groups staged protests at Channel 10 headquarters.
Em Rusciano tweeted on Thursday that she finds it “hard to believe” the offending gag was not green-lit by producers given her experience with the program, which she says features “very little” improvisation and the live segments are carefully written.
Former The Project panelist Em Rusciano (pictured) has sensationally claimed that a guest’s controversial Jesus joke was “script-approved” by the show’s producers – despite the hosts saying it was a “live TV” was a blunder that could not have been predicted
The left-wing current affairs program has come under fire after gay comedian and comedian Reuben Kaye (left) joked on Tuesday’s show that he admired Jesus Christ because “I love any man who can get nailed for three days straight and come back for more”
The backlash from Muslims and Christians has been swift and relentless, forcing co-anchors Waleed Aly (left) and Sarah Harris (right) to issue a crude apology on-air on Wednesday.
She accused The Project of throwing Kaye “under the bus” by distancing himself from him and issuing a somber apology, highlighting how “deeply and unnecessarily offensive” his joke was.
“I find it pretty hard to believe that Reuben Kaye’s joke stopping a nation wasn’t script approved,” Rusciano tweeted.
‘I’ve been working on The Project – very little is off the cuff! A small, small amount. They threw him outright under the bus in my opinion. Sorry, but someone had to say it.’
In a follow-up tweet, Rusciano took a swipe at the Australian media for elevating “mediocrity” rather than “talented” artists like Kaye.
“They really don’t deserve him and his talent,” she said.
‘I don’t know if Australia deserves it! In the end, we always seem to stand up for the non-threatening and the mediocre.’
Rusciano accused The Project of throwing Kaye “under the bus” by distancing himself from him and issuing a somber apology, highlighting how “deeply and unnecessarily offensive” his joke was.
She tweeted on Thursday that she finds it “hard to believe” the offending joke wasn’t green-lit by producers given her experience with the program, which she says features “very little” improvisation and that the live segments are carefully written.
In a follow-up tweet, Rusciano took a swipe at the Australian media for elevating ‘mediocrity’ rather than ‘talented’ artists like Kaye
It comes after a The Project insider claimed Channel 10’s flagship talk show was wrecked by shoddy production values and editorial standards.
The ‘Jesus’ prank disaster could have easily been avoided in previous years, the source told Daily Mail Australia.
The informant said The Project pre-recorded 90 percent of all interviews with potentially controversial artists like Kaye for the simple reason that they could remove anything offensive.
And if a “tense” guest wasn’t available for a pre-record, the hosts were minutely notified so they could “neutralize such situations, step in if necessary, and apologize if necessary…don’t laugh like Sarah Harris or sit with an icy face like Waleed’.
But on Tuesday, Kaye’s prank aired live and uncensored, with Harris doubly laughing as Aly looked shocked and set off a firestorm.
It comes after a The Project insider claimed Channel 10’s flagship talk show was wrecked by shoddy production values and editorial standards. The ‘Jesus’ joke disaster could easily have been avoided in previous years, if more precautions had been taken, they said
The hosts quickly apologized the next day, but their gesture left viewers unmoved and calls continued to grow for the show to be cancelled.
The insider said they “can’t understand” why Reuben Kaye’s interview was not pre-recorded when it was a blatantly “red flag interview.”
‘In the few cases (before) such an interview would be done live, the presenters would normally have been well prepared in advance.
“If the interview was done live because only time (Kaye) was available, why weren’t Harris and Aly better prepared?
“It’s yet another sign of the show’s declining professionalism, Ten’s declining standards, sloppiness and, quite frankly, their general lackluster approach.”