Mr Bean aka Rowan Atkinson has defended Boris Johnson after a controversy erupted on his comments on women wearing burkas, Yahoo UK has reported.
The actor, known for his comedy performances in Mr Bean and Blackadder, said the remarks were funny.
In a letter to The Times, Atkinson wrote, “As a lifelong beneficiary of the freedom to make jokes about religion, I do think that Boris Johnson’s joke about wearers of the burka resembling letterboxes is a pretty good one.”
He added: “All jokes on religion cause offence, so it’s pointless apologising for them, continuing, “You should really only apologise for a bad joke. On that basis, no apology is required.”
The former London mayor and foreign secretary said that Muslim women wearing face coverings “look like letter boxes”, and compared them to bank robbers and rebellious teenagers in a Telegraph column.
Johnson received immense backlash from the public for his “ignorant comments”
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May also did not appreciate his comments saying, “I think Boris Johnson used language in describing people’s appearance that has obviously caused offence. It was the wrong language to use. He should not have used it.”
May suggested that Boris should apologise for his insensitive comments.
Johnson is to face an investigation by an independent panel after complaints that his comments breached the Conservative Party’s code of conduct.