No laughing matter: Is Saudi festival a case of ‘comedy washing’?
This Is Why
Sky News
4.0 • 552 Ratings
🗓️ 10 October 2025
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
But there's a catch.... they're not allowed to say anything that could cause "embarrassment" to Saudi Arabia, its royal family or any religion. The outcry has given you a new phrase to learn - "comedy washing".
What is comedy washing and what evidence is there Saudi Arabia is trying to carry it out? Why have comedians agreed to perform at the festival and how can they defend their decision?
Niall is joined by stand-up comedian and host of the Pod Save The UK podcast Nish Kumar.
Producers: Tom Gillespie, Soila Apparicio
Editor: Mike Bovill
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Add water to your will. |
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| 0:55.5 | Always use the same card of device when touching in and out for full terms and conditions such TFL fair capping. |
| 1:00.1 | Coming up on the daily, it's just not funny. Comedian Nish Kumar on the backlash to the comedy |
| 1:05.9 | festival hosted by Saudi Arabia. Add water to your will. |
| 1:16.1 | And know that from that single drop, life will grow. |
| 1:18.8 | Communities will flourish. |
| 1:21.3 | A better world will be left. |
| 1:28.4 | By leaving a gift in your will to water aid, you'll help bring essential clean water to people who need it, |
| 1:35.5 | to change their own lives for generations to come. Add Water Aid to your will. Search WaterAid Legacy to find out how. For unlimited all-day travel in London, think TFL. With the daily cap fair |
| 1:43.8 | frozen until March 27, travel as much as you like |
| 1:48.0 | on tube, bus, Elizabeth Line, DLR and Overground, knowing you'll never pay any more than £8.0.0.0. |
| 1:57.2 | Download TFL Go to plan your journey. To the Mayor of London and TFL, every journey matters. |
... |
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