Comedian Rosie Jones cries on Woman's Hour after contributors withdrew from her controversially- titled documentary Am I a R*tard? - and says 'criticism from within your own community hits harder'

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Comedian Rosie Jones cried on Woman's Hour as she defended the controversial title of her Channel 4 documentary Am I a R*tard?

Rosie Jones: Am I a R*tard? aims to explore and educate viewers on the online abuse faced by those with disabilities, including Rosie who has cerebral palsy. 

However last month it emerged a number of disabled contributors were withdrawing from the documentary fronted by Rosie, claiming its title is 'damaging'.

Ballerina Kate Stanforth, model Lucy Dawson and social media influencer Shelby Lynch have all dropped out after being left 'heartbroken' at the use of the ableist slur which they fought for months to have removed.

Appearing on the BBC programme, Rosie said she experienced the word used 'as a weapon every day' and therefore wanted to 'use the word in the title of the documentary to start the conversation about ableism'.

Rosie appeared teary eyed as she said the criticism from her collaborators had been 'incredibly tough' and she was 'upset', adding: 'It's not been my easiest few weeks because having criticism that comes from within your own community hits harder.'

Comedian Rosie Jones was teary eyed on Woman's Hour as she defended the controversial title of her Channel 4 documentary Am I a R*tard?

Rosie Jones: Am I a R*tard? aims to explore and educate viewers on the online abuse faced by those with disabilities, including Rosie who has cerebral palsy

She said: 'I have had cerebral palsy for 33 years and that means going through school, walking down the road and now having a public platform on social media, I get to experience that word used at me as a weapon nearly every day.

'Somewhere I will hear it. And you saw me come in today with headphones because I do not walk down the street without wearing headphones to protect myself from hearing that word or ableist slurs.

'So I know it's controversial but I needed to use that specific word in the title of the documentary to start the conversation around slurs and ableism.

'It is my opinion that it is not taken as seriously as other slurs.'

She said it was 'her decision' to use the word, and throughout the production of the documentary, the production company and Channel 4 have 'supported her'.

'They've said it's your story, it's your lived experience and therefore it's your lived experience.' 

She said she has 'read all the criticism', adding: 'I have said it all along in this film and in my comedy, that I can only speak for myself.

'I can only tell the story of what it's like to be a woman with cerebral palsy. And unfortunately, that means that that R word is used against me a a lot of the time.

'And I don't think the abuser's care if it's a word associated with me or with people with intellectual disabilities.

Rosie appeared teary eyed as she said the criticism from her collaborators had been 'incredibly tough' and she was 'upset'

'It isn't my word, no. But also, it isn't their word. And it's no one's word. But the truth of the matter is it's a word that is still heard, used casually in schools, in pubs, in the street.

I think by using it in the title, I am in no way encouraging people to use it, and in the same breath, I am in no way trying to reclaim it.

'I am highlighting it as a word that is still used casually and needs to stop.'

She said: 'I need to stress that the Channel and the company had many, many conversations with the other contributors. 

'There was after care for every contributor in the documentary. We explained the reason behind the language and we said it was my own experience and we encouraged them to watch the film to understand all the reasons for that.

'Unfortunately they didn't want to. But what I would say is, I think it just highlights the fact the disabled community isn't one person with one opinion and one experience.

'We're having this debate because we all come from different places so although it is unfortunate that we have had to take their scene out of the film, I still firmly believe that we get our point across  of wanting to start a conversation about ableism.'

Rosie said she had been prompted to make the documentary after an experience in a London pub.    

She wrote for the Radio Times: 'I recently went to a trendy north London pub with my friend, and behind the bar was a blackboard reading: WE WILL NOT TOLERATE: sexism/Racism/Homophobia/Transphobia/Anti-Semitism. I ordered a drink. “Great sign, but what about ableism?”

'I asked the barman. He looked at me confused. “What’s that?”

'Ableism is discrimination and social prejudice against people with a disability. It should be treated in the same way we treat any other form of prejudice. But how can it be taken seriously when most people don’t even know the word?'

She went on to explain how as a person with cerebral palsy, she experiences prejudice every day, whether it's from a taxi driver who refuses to take her because they assume she's drunk or whether it's people in the street 'calling me a r**ard'.

On using the word 'r**tard' in the title of her documentary, she added: 'I decided to use it specifically because it is a highly offensive word and one that should be taken as seriously as all other derogatory words.'

Rosie empathised with other members of the disabled community who have spoken out against her using the word.

However, she insisted she simply wanted to highlight how damaging it can be for disabled people.

A number of collaborators pulled out of the documentary when they learned the title. 

Kate posted a 'little, but important, statement' on Instagram in which she claimed there had been a 'number of issues raised throughout the process, which led to myself and all my friends to withdraw consent to use our material'.

Shock factor: Rosie, who has featured on Would I Lie to You? and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, acknowledged that the word is 'very shocking'

She wrote: 'This includes a lengthy discussion on why we think the title will be damaging to the disabled community and major pressure to change this.'

She went on to thank the disabled community for 'all rallying together on this one for putting as much pressure on the team as possible so we could try get the correct result, even if that meant scrapping our hard work. We got you'.

Lucy said she 'definitely won’t be watching' as the title is 'too triggering regardless of if it’s good or bad for me now because of what went on behind the scenes'.

The model, who was left disabled after contracting autoimmune encephalitis in 2016, said the fight has been 'mentally draining'.

'The whole thing has been completely mentally draining for the last two months and honestly I’ve had countless nights without sleep and many tears over the thought of THAT trending on Twitter, being said on talk shows etc by non-disabled people [sic] and the harm it would cause,' she wrote on Twitter.

'As with many documentaries before, multiple disabled contributors - for whom the doc is meant to help - were harmed in the process.'

She said their tireless challenging led to an asterix being added, but that they 'couldn’t have tried any harder' to get the word removed completely from the title.

'I do think the doc will be brilliant & discuss real important topics which is why it’s even more of a shame to use that title,' she said.

Shelby said she 'didn’t want anything to do with the documentary unless the name was changed'.

'Talking about ableism on mainstream TV is obviously something that needs to be discussed but the way it’s happened isn’t something that I can support and all three of us spoke out against them,' she told her followers.

She said she 'cried so many tears over this situation as I was terrified that I would let the disabled community down and nothing would hurt me more'.

Shelby claimed the title could make the lives of her disabled followers 'more difficult'.

Rosie, 33, who has featured on Would I Lie to You? and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, acknowledged that the word is 'very shocking and upsetting', as she defended the title.

'In my opinion, society doesn’t take this word and other ableist forms of language as seriously as any other form of abuse from any other minorities,' she said. 'So, I said to Channel 4: "Let's do it, let's tackle the problem head on and use that word in the title and then, hopefully, people will think twice about using the word and other ableist slurs ever again".'

The Daily Mail understands that the title was not chosen lightly and that the broadcaster worked with a disability consultant.

Actress and disability campaigner Samatha Renke, who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as Brittle Bone disease, said: 'If so many people are saddened and triggered by your actions you really need to pay attention and approach with respect and empathy. Not ego!'

A spokesperson for Channel 4 said the 'use of the r-word in the documentary is within context of the subject matter being explored and specific to the abuse Rosie receives on social media'.

They added: 'The film makes very clear it is an unacceptable and offensive ableist term and its inclusion was carefully considered in conversations with the editorial team, Rosie and a disability consultant…

'We have removed the contributors from the documentary at their request and fully respect their decision to withdraw.'