A Belfast-based comedian has drawn widespread criticism after making a rape-themed remark about a woman who had publicly disclosed her experience as a sexual assault victim. According to BBC News, Vittorio Angelone made the comment during a podcast episode recorded in 2025, referencing content creator Rebecca Goodwin in language that advocates and survivors have condemned as harmful and trivialising.
The remark occurred during a December 2025 episode of the 'Have a Word' podcast, which featured comedians performing roasts of one another. Angelone asked fellow comedian Freddy Quinne, "if you're here, who's raping Rebecca Goodwin?" The episode had been available exclusively to the podcast's 45,000 Patreon rs before clips were shared on social media in recent days, bringing the comments to wider attention.
Goodwin, a British OnlyFans creator, had reported a rape to police in July 2025 and subsequently spoken publicly about her assault, waiving her right to anonymity. She remained unaware of Angelone's remarks until social media posts surfaced recently, more than a year after the episode was recorded in September or October 2025. According to Chortle, Goodwin is currently navigating an active rape trial, and she described feeling particularly vulnerable given her emotional state and pregnancy at the time the material was being monetised.
In a Facebook statement, Goodwin expressed her distress at the use of her name as the basis for the joke. She wrote that it will "forever live with me that it was allowed for my name to be used as the punchline of a malicious 'joke' about such a serious issue". She noted that the episode was recorded "in September/October of 2025 and has been behind a paywall for a year before being published to social media", meaning the material remained inaccessible to the general public until recently.
Goodwin stated that at the time of the podcast recording, "no contact or apology has been attempted" by Angelone, though he subsequently removed the joke from his own social media accounts—a year after it was made and distributed. The remark, however, remains unedited in the paywalled version of the podcast episode itself.
How did other comedians respond?
Several comedians involved in the roast episode have since apologised to Goodwin. According to Chortle, Freddy Quinne, Adam Rowe and Daniel Sloss all offered apologies, though Goodwin declined to accept them. She explained that the apologies came a year after the original joke and that none of the comedians present in the room had defended her at the time the remark was made. Goodwin felt particularly betrayed, having previously appeared on the 'Have a Word' podcast and considering some of those involved to be people she regarded as friends.
Angelone has since apologised on social media and stated that he has reached out to Goodwin directly to apologise. In an Instagram statement, he acknowledged that he allowed his "need for validation supersede my own standards and morals". He added:
It's completely pathetic and I'm ashamed to realise that about myself.
What have support organisations said?
Rape Crisis Northern Ireland issued a statement expressing serious concern about the remarks and their broader implications for survivors. The organisation stated they were "very disappointed to hear of the comments made by Vittorio Angelone which contribute to a culture in which rape and sexual violence can be trivialised". They continued:
When rape becomes a punchline and sexual violence is treated as entertainment, it becomes easier to dismiss its impact and harder for survivors to speak out.
The organisation emphasised the responsibility of those with public platforms, noting that
Those with a public platform and an audience have a responsibility to consider the impact of the language they use and the attitudes they help to normalise.Rape Crisis Northern Ireland further stressed that
Rape jokes might seem far removed from an act of sexual violence, but they sit within that same culture of minimising and trivialising it.They concluded by stating that
survivors should never be left feeling that what happened to them is something that could be laughed at, minimised or dismissed.
Rachel Morrogh, Chief Executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, echoed these concerns in her own statement. She said:
For survivors, hearing rape treated as a punchline can be deeply hurtful, and it reinforces the attitudes that discourage people from coming forward.Morrogh added that
Anyone with a public platform, including performers, promoters and venues, has a responsibility to consider who is listening and the harm this kind of material can do. To treat sexual violence as a joke betrays a deep lack understanding of what survivors have lived through.
What is Angelone's current work?
Angelone is set to feature in his first major acting role in an upcoming BBC sitcom titled Rewarding, which is scheduled to air in autumn 2026. BBC Northern Ireland has been approached for comment regarding the controversy and its potential implications for the production.
The incident reflects broader concerns about how comedy platforms handle material that targets or trivialises sexual violence. Similar controversies have emerged in recent years, including an apology from Alloa Rugby Club after a rape joke was made at a dinner event, and an apology from Green MSP Q Manivannan over resurfaced comments describing rape as a spectrum.
Goodwin's decision to speak publicly about her experience and the impact of the joke highlights the ongoing challenges survivors face when their trauma becomes the subject of public entertainment. She emphasised the broader context, stating: "We are facing a global crisis of violence against women and girls, and we are begging for our safety and experiences to be taken seriously."
