An Australian disability campaigner has hit out at an English comedian over a ‘deeply sickening’ joke about diabetes.
Carmen Azzopardi, a type 1 diabetic, was appalled when Paul Foot launched into a ten minute skit on diabetes sufferers during his show at the Moth Club in Hackney, east London, last Wednesday.
Ms Azzopardi called out the comedian while he was on stage but Foot hit back and said he disagreed his comments were ‘insensitive’.
In the ten minute skit, Foot ‘made fun of people’ who wear continuous glucose monitors – a device diabetics use to keep track of their blood glucose levels – Ms Azzopardi claimed.
He then mimicked a diabetic having a hypoglycaemic episode, shaking on stage, before suggesting they died after suffering a heart attack.
In footage shared on TikTok by Ms Azzopardi, she could be heard booing and calling out the comedian following the skit.
‘That was a s*** joke. I have type 1 diabetes, that was extremely insensitive and mis-informative,’ she said.
Foot hit back and said he didn’t believe he was being insensitive as he attempted to continue his set.
‘I don’t think it’s up to you to decide if it’s insensitive or not,’ Ms Azzopardi said.
The pair continued to clash during a tense exchange as the comedian argued ‘comedy is subjective’ while the audience could be heard nervously laughing intermittently.
Foot went on to blame the activist for the show’s ‘awkward’ ending.
‘Due to the failure of you to grasp that simple intellectual point, cause you fail to grasp the difference between these issues, cause of that it’s ending in an awkward way,’ he said.
Ms Azzopardi said her friends urged her to leave the gig, but she wanted to stand her ground and avoid the comedian making fun of her once she had left.
Foot then called out Ms Azzopardi for talking while he was finishing up his set and said they would never agree over his comments as he was sharing ‘an intellectual argument’ while she was on ‘the emotional side’.
The disability campaigner explained why she was angered by Foot’s comments in a video posted online.
‘All in all, deeply embarrassing for him, deeply deeply sickening to witness as someone who is living with that disease,’ Ms Azzopardi said.
Foot told Ms Azzopardi he didn’t believe he was being insensitive before blaming her for an ‘awkward’ end to his set
Carmen Azzopardi, a type 1 diabetic, was appalled when Paul Foot launched into what she claimed was a ‘deeply sickening’ joke about diabetes
Paul Foot delivered a ten minute skit on diabetes sufferers during a show at the Moth Club in Hackney, east London
‘It’s probably one of the most blatant acts of ableism that I have ever personally experienced since being diagnosed with this illness, because that’s what it is, it’s an illness, not a punch line to a joke.’
Social media users agreed with Ms Azzopardi.
‘Is the joke in the room with us? I don’t understand which part is meant to be funny. Well done for calling him out!’ one said.
‘This is so weird? Did someone with diabetes break up with him? This is such a random gripe to have,’ another wrote.
‘Why were people laughing? Not a single thing in this clip was funny,’ a third added.
‘I have type 1 diabetes and I used to do stand up and there is a way to make tasteful jokes about YOUR own illness and experience but this ain’t it,’ a third said.
However, disagreeing with the campaigner, one wrote: ‘God forbid a comedian tells a joke.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted Foot and Ms Azzopardi for comment.
