Marc Fennell apologises for “appalling” disability joke

SBS host Marc Fennell has apologised after joking about genetic conditions on The Project last Thursday.

The 35-year-old has faced backlash following his comments during a segment on an American vlogger making beans on toast.

“Every time she posts a video I’m like, ‘Are you missing a chromosome? Like, what has happened to you?’” he said.

A missing chromosome is a disorder that can lead to genetic conditions such as Turner syndrome.

Former AFLW player and Survivor Australia contestant Moana Hope, whose sister Lavinia has Möbius syndrome, condemned Fennell’s comment.

“Lavinia’s missing a chromosome and so many other people are missing chromosomes and I cannot believe he decided to use it as an example of dumb and stupid,” Hope said in an Instagram video.

She wrote in the caption: “You don’t get to bully and discriminate against people with special needs and think it’s ok coz you got a ‘laugh’ on a national TV.”

View this post on Instagram

Two different people are watching this same clip. One is missing a chromosome and the other is labeled as ‘normal’. But after the clip is finished you need to watch both reactions. One of them is Bullying and discriminating against people with special needs and monosomy. The other one says ‘ yeah it’s nice, the lady is lovely’. Yet he is labeled as NORMAL and she is used in a sentence to describe what he thinks is someone who is ‘stupid, dumb and not all there’. This 💩 needs to stop. @marcfennell you don’t get to bully and discriminate against people with special needs and think it’s ok coz you got a ‘laugh’ on a national TV. And to the people on the panel that did laugh shame on you. @theprojecttv this is unacceptable behaviour that needs to be seen to. This has offended more people then you can imagine. #needstostop #notfunny #itsmean #theproject

A post shared by Moana Hope (@moanahope) on Jul 4, 2020 at 12:14am PDT

On Sunday, Fennell issued an apology over the “stupid, hurtful” comment on his social media pages, saying he was not aware the chromosome joke was related to genetic disorders.

“I went on [The Project] and offhandedly said something which I have since realised was an appalling ableist comment,” he wrote.

“Pretty much the moment I got off air I’ve been trying to personally respond to everyone who has messaged me. It felt like the right thing to do. To really read, listen and respond to the many parents, siblings of and disabled and neurodiverse people who messaged me.

“Words matter. My words matter. Ableism like this is not what I’m about and I hope you believe that I can and will do better.”

Fennell thanked Hope for calling him out. “She was and is absolutely right to call this stuff out.”