Ian Hislop, 64, sparks fury as he says BBC HIGNFY ‘cut’ woman definition ruling response amid backlash to ‘ignoring’ subject
Ian Hislop has divided Have I Got News For You viewers after seemingly explaining why the Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of “woman” was missing from last week’s show.
On April 16, Britain’s top judges unanimously agreed the terms “woman” and “sex” in gender legislation would now solely refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
The ruling was celebrated by numerous biological women’s rights advocates, particularly For Women Scotland, who spearheaded the calls for the courts to make the ruling.
However, two days later, on Friday, April 18, topical panel show HIGNFY failed to discuss the historic ruling.
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The omission prompted furious outbursts from several watching at home, with some accusing the show of “cowardice” for failing to address it.
The Spectator even published an article titled “Have I Got News for You is a sad, unfunny spectacle” following its failure to tackle the subject.
On Friday, April 25, HIGNFY returned to BBC One, and this time, the panel was offered the chance to discuss the ruling following Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch’s public row about the news.
After a photo of the Labour and Conservative leaders appeared on-screen, Hislop took the reins of the discussion – and addressed the backlash the show had faced.
“Yes. This is the Supreme Court ruling, which a lot of people said Have I Got News was pathetic because last week nobody answered this question and it wasn’t asked.
“It was asked, actually, and I answered it at some length. I gave my views about John Stuart Mill’s clash of different rights and competitive demands on the legal system.
“And I talked for some time about what I thought was a very rational solution about the two parliamentary acts which the Supreme Court had been asked… and they cut it out.”
After looking at the studio audience, Hislop was met by laughter from those in attendance before guest host Angela Rippon quipped that the show is only half an hour in length.
“It seemed longer last week,” fellow panellist Paul Merton chimed in before Hislop continued: “It isn’t easy to do this particular subject, as Keir Starmer has found out.”
Comedian Jo Brand then weighed in to suggest the subject is one that a lot of people wouldn’t want to talk about because it had become a “venomous situation” and that people were “genuinely a bit frightened”. The show moved on soon after.
Following the discussion, viewers at home flocked to social media to share their verdict on Hislop’s supposed explanation.
Opinion was well and truly split, with some blasting the show’s supposed decision to “cut” the response, as Hislop claimed, while others argued Hislop was joking.
Yep. pic.twitter.com/egN4vSo7RC
— Antonia Frances 💙🦕 (@antoniafrances) April 25, 2025
However, others hit out at the suggestion that Hislop was merely joking, given the backlash the show had faced in the first place for failing to mention the contentious subject.
One X user shared a clip of the moment online alongside the caption: “Interesting to hear Ian Hislop say he spoke at length about the Supreme Court judgement on last week’s Have I Got News For You but the producers cut the whole thing out. Why are you censoring content? @HatTrickProd #hignfy.”
Another hit out: “#HIGNFY have had years and years to talk about this topic. Ian Hislop was perfectly placed to broach the subject. They chose silence. They chose cowardice.”
“I watched it, and last week also,” a third weighed in. “Not a skinny mention was made last week, Ian was the only one to mention it this week, with Jo looking terrified. This on a comedy/satirical show. Shame on them.”
However, another viewer argued the case: “I don’t think that is the case.
“Hislop said that what he said about the the SC the previous week was so boring it was cut out, but I think he was just hypothesising; had he said it would have been so boring.”
And another suggested: “He was being sarcastic- mocking Starmer for waffling about it, by waffling himself.
“They did mock Starmer- saying it’d be ‘2 hours if imcomprehensible claptrap but at least it would stop when Starmer shuts up when the funeral starts’.” (sic)