- The comic was discussing freedom of speech on Sky's The Russell Howard Hour
- Claimed BBC executives took umbrage at a line about ISIS 'not being Muslims'
- Told him to re-write remarks - made after Paris attacks - to 'not devout Muslims'
- BBC spokesman said today: 'We don't have any rules about not offending ISIS'
Russell Howard has claimed BBC executives once made him re-record a joke about ISIS in case it offended the genocidal terrorist group.
The comedian, speaking about freedom of speech on Sky One's The Russell Howard Hour, said a routine in which he attacked the terror cult for 'not being Muslims' after the 2015 Paris attacks sparked concerns among the corporation's management.
Howard, 38, claimed he was told to change the skit to instead say Isis 'weren't 'devout' Muslims', prompting the Bristol-born comic to question, 'are we worried about offending ISIS?'
Easy offended? Russell Howard has claimed the BBC told him to re-record a joke in which he said ISIS were 'not Muslims' to 'not devout Muslims'. Pictured: File photo of an ISIS fighter
The 38-year-old said: 'A while back I worked for the BBC and I did a piece about the Paris attacks when I said Isis weren't Muslims, they were terrorists – and the crowd cheered.
'And then, at the end of the show, the BBC lost their mind, [saying] 'You need to re-record it! You need to say Isis aren't devout Muslims.'
'I was like, "Are you worried we are going to offend Isis?'" Are they going to write in?'
Howard then imagined an ISIS terrorist writing a letter of complaint to the BBC's feedback programme about his former show, Russell Howard's Good News.
'Dear Points Of View, imagine my horror when I was misrepresented on a late-night satire show. Farouk and I will be cancelling our TV licence. Please excuse my handwriting, I have a hook for a hand.'
He added: 'F*** those traitors to their faith! If they are killing people, the least I can do as a comedian is call them names. And if Isis gets upset, then f*** them.'
Howard - seen while discussing the alleged exchange on The Russell Howard Hour last Friday - imagined an ISIS terrorist writing a letter of complaint to the BBC's feedback programme
In the broadcast version of Russell Howard's Good News, the wording 'devout Muslims' was used.
A BBC spokesman told MailOnline they were still investigating Howard's claim as the incident happened 'a few years ago'.
But he added: 'We don’t have rules about not offending ISIS and they have been the subject of our comedy in the past - such as the Real Housewives of ISIS sketch - but without further information about this particular claim we’re unable to comment further at present.'
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