Julia Davis says there's sexism in the way her comedy is received

Julia Davis says there’s sexism at work in the way her comedy is received.

The characters she has created writing and starring in shows such as Nighty Night, Hunderby and Camping are often described as ‘twisted’ or ‘manipulative’.

But when asked in an interview to promote her new Sky Atlantic show Sally4Ever why her creations are often so damaged, she suggests the very question is biased. 

 ‘I often wonder if a man would be asked about why he writes twisted and manipulative characters?,’ she said.

‘To me, they are only a reflection of the world I see, or at least part of the world I see, and were I to write drama that would be seen as interesting, whereas in comedy it’s almost an accusation and I’m constantly labelled as "dark".’

But Davis says that’s a narrow interpretation, saying: ‘I also think "silly" is a word that should be used for some of my greatest works, and also "profound", if you really stop to analyse it.’

• Read the full interview here. Sally4Ever starts on Sky Atlantic at 10pm on Thursday.

Published: 21 Oct 2018