Rosie Jones has sparked outrage after posting a joke on social media suggesting she is "waiting" for Sir David Attenborough to die, so that she can step into his shoes as the next "national treasure."
The post, shared on Ms Jones’s official Instagram page, showed the comedian positioning herself as a potential successor to the beloved 98-year-old broadcaster.
The comedian's accompanying caption read: "Listen. I'm not wishing anything BAD on Dave. I'm just saying... I'm here... waiting..."
The remark quickly drew criticism online, with some critics labelling the comedian “unclassy” and “diabolical” for appearing to make light of the national treasure’s eventual passing.
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Rosie Jones sparked outrage online
| PA"Do people actually find her funny?" one disgruntled viewer commented, while another said: "Just me or does this feel distasteful to anyone else?"
Another person penned: "Ew," followed by a throwing up emoji.
A fourth wrote: "As an Attenborough fan, this is wildly offensive."
"Just not funny!!" stated another.
David Attenborough is approaching his 100th birthday
| PADespite the criticism, some fans responded positively to the joke.
Many flooded the comments with cry-laughing emojis, appreciating the comedian's humour.
One follower joked: "This is going to look so suspicious if he dies soon. I've got my eye on you Rosie."
Another said: "We love you, Rosie!"
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"You're already in!" another fan quipped.
The controversy has drawn attention to Ms Jones's previous comments about fellow comedians and their material.
Just months ago, the comedian publicly criticised Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais over their jokes about transgender people.
Ms Jones described them as "privileged cis white straight men" who "open their newspaper and go, 'Oh, people are talking about trans people. I can know a bit about that without experiencing it at all.'"
David Attenborough is known as the UK's 'National Treasure'
| GettyShe delivered a blunt message to her fellow comics at the time: "To those boys, I'd say with respect, shut the f*** up."
Some observers have noted the apparent contradiction between her criticism of others' controversial humour and her own Mr Attenborough joke.
"That's a horrible thing to say. You don't like it when people are nasty to you," someone pointed out underneath her post.
Rosie Jones
| PAThe badly received joke comes just weeks after the BBC unveiled plans for a week-long tribute to Sir David, as the legendary broadcaster approaches his centenary on Friday, May 8.
The broadcaster described the occasion as marking an "extraordinary milestone" for the nature documentary icon, who has been associated with the corporation for more than seven decades.