Press release -
'Would I Lie to You?' - Not so funny
On Friday 17th February 2023, BBC One aired an episode of Would I Lie to You in which Lee Mack is seen to mock stammering. At 10:15 into the episode, Rob Brydon stumbles over his words, and Lee Mack holds onto that moment, mimicking a stammer and stating “the suspense is killing me!”. He asks if Brydon was auditioning for Open All Hours (a reference to the 1976 sitcom whose main character Arkwright, has a stammer).
STAMMA has responded with the following statement: -
"It was disheartening to see Lee Mack and the ‘Would I Lie to You’ crew mock stammering on Friday night's show. Around 8% of kids and at least 1% of adults stammer. This is our voice, it’s how we talk. The thoughtless ridicule we saw on Would I Lie to You offers us a stark choice between being laughed at or being silent. We know it wasn’t meant to hurt or offend, but for many who stammer, it does.
To all those adults and teens out there who stammer, and all those parents who have kids who stammer, know that there are many people who accept that stammering is simply the way some of us talk. Who make space and time for us in conversation and value our fabulous, stammered voices."
Jane Powell, CEO at STAMMA said “Stammering isn’t a joke, and this isn’t the 70s. Thousands of people who love WILTY – and who stammer – will have watched the show on Friday, and felt uncomfortable and embarrassed watching Lee Mack mock how they talk. It’s a shame the BBC didn’t see that this was worth editing out.”
STAMMA has reached out to the BBC for comment.
You can view the clip in question here.
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Our Purpose
We exist to create a world that makes space for stammering. Where it's embraced as just a difference. Where no-one judges your stammer or the way you choose to deal with it. We’ll get there by bringing people together, whether they stammer or not, to propel a movement for change.
We will stand up for and embolden those who stammer, provide support and information, and challenge discrimination wherever we find it. We’ll fight for NHS speech and language therapy services for those want it. No matter how you talk, we're here for you.
Join us and help the public understand that stammering is not a sign of being drunk, dishonest, nervous or weak. It’s simply how some of us talk.
