U.K. Broadcaster Slammed for Cutting John Oliver's Queen Elizabeth Jokes

U.K. viewers missed out on John Oliver's Queen Elizabeth II jokes, and they are not happy.

Comcast-owned network Sky reportedly cut Oliver's jests about her late majesty, including "we need to start with the U.K., which is clearly still reeling from the shocking death of a 96-year-old woman from natural causes." The broadcast then skipped to a bit about new Prime Minister Liz Truss, leaving viewers confused and frustrated about the edit. 

British audiences took to Twitter to drag the network for axing the short segment, calling "coverage and forced mourning here" "out of hand" and accusing Sky of censoring Oliver because he "says a few edgy things about the royal family."

We’re not children, @SkyUK, please do not censor Last Week Tonight With John Oliver again just because he says a few edgy things about the royal family.

— Andy #GTTO (@andrewdsweeney) September 12, 2022

Don't censor my @LastWeekTonight. I am British, I am a monarchist and I CAN TAKE A JOKE!!! @SkyUK If @iamjohnoliver wants to have an intelligent, jovial, factual opinion about our queen I wanna hear it. FFS! The coverage and forced mourning here is getting real out of hand. 🤐😤

— Lindsay Sargeant (@SargeantLc) September 13, 2022

Dear @SkyUK , there was a VERY obvious edit in tonight’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - what gives? Presuming it was queen-related?

— James/Jim/whatever (@jimmybearlondon) September 12, 2022

@iamjohnoliver @LastWeekTonight any ideas as to why the segment covering the death of the Queen was cut from the latest episode by Sky Comedy? Was somebody upset?

— Tomás O'Donnell Bond (@LicenceToSmirk) September 12, 2022

@LastWeekTonight .@iamjohnoliver.
Sky cut out your joke about the queen last night. Cowards. Any chance you can put it up on here? They teased us with her picture and and truly amateurish cut.

— Patrick Barker (@Patbarker) September 13, 2022

This isn't the first of Oliver's episodes to be censored in the United Kingdom; in 2018, Last Week Tonight's Brexit episodes were effectively cut for utilizing clips from Parliament. 

Last Week Tonight took home its seventh consecutive Emmy Award for Variety Talk Series last night.

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.