Connolly blasts censorship of comedians

SCOTTISH comedian Billy Connolly has launched an attack on censorship, saying comics should decide for themselves what makes people laugh.

He said recent controversies such as the Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand affair had left comics too scared to offend.

Connolly, 67, said: "I don't offend, that's not my job. My job is to make people laugh. There's a lot of deep and desperate unfairness been going on."

The Scot is no stranger to controversy – he was criticised in 2004 for making a joke about British hostage Kenneth Bigley prior to his murder in Iraq.

Connolly said: "I think it was the US comedian George Carlin who said, 'The job of a comedian is to know where the line is and to step over it'."