Sara Pascoe feared she'd destroy her career by reporting rape claim

08 April 2023 , 17:17

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Comedian Sara Pascoe reported a rape claim against a male celebrity which was made to her (Image: BBC/Open Mike Productions/Ellis O'Brien)

Sara Pascoe says she feared for her career after reporting a male celebrity when a fan told her the star had raped her.

The panel show comedian contacted bosses after the woman told her the man was “my rapist”.

Sara, 41, said she decided to do it in spite of a worry she would make herself “unemployable” because the fear of nothing changing in the industry was worse.

The 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and QI star revealed: “Was it a risk? Yeah. I think it’s difficult all the way up the chain because what happens is people start going ‘what if I make myself unemployable?’

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Sara’s Last Woman On Earth is back on BBC2 (BBC/Talkback/Fremantle)

“What if they (the bosses) choose to employ that person who’s had the accusations instead of the women who have complained about him?”

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But she added that hopefully if people stick together and keep shopping male predators then things would change.

Sara added: “I want to feel positively about it. It would be horrible if people are still having this conversation in 30 years and we’re like, ‘Yeah, I really thought it was going to change’.”

Sara – who has starred in her own 2020 six-part BBC2 comedy series Out Of Her Mind and Last Woman On Earth travel documentary – opened up about her decision on Amazon Prime series Backstage with Katherine Ryan in June.

Sara Pascoe feared she'd destroy her career by reporting rape claim

The star spoke about her dilemma with fellow comedian Katherine Ryan (BBC/Talkback/Fremantle)

She told of her dilemma after fellow comedian Katherine, 39, revealed she had called out a male celebrity as a sexual predator.

Sara said: “It should be that when someone is accused of breaking the law in their treatment of someone – or assaults them or harasses them – that victims then go through official channels and are listened to and respected.

"That way everyone can respond correctly, but instead you end up with a little channel of whispers, ‘Oh, be careful around him – if he offers you a drink, say no’ and that kind of thing.

“Because that’s the only little bit of safety you’ve got until official action is taken. I think what everyone in comedy would want is for everyone to feel safe enough to speak to other comedians – to ask, ‘Has this happened to you?’ – then we’re a team.

Sara contacted bosses after a woman told her the man was “my rapist" (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

"And if there is someone who’s not playing by the rules, it’s actually quite easy to avoid them and cut them out that way.”

Sara – set to explore more of the world’s most endangered jobs in a new series of Last Woman On Earth – added: “It’s about not being quiet and thinking, ‘Oh gosh, I don’t want to cause a problem.’ Speak to someone else.

"Speak to people and eventually someone will have a sensible solution.”