BBC Question Time descended into chaos as a panellist was heckled for insisting people should not talk Britain down.
Comedian Konstantin Kisin said he gets “annoyed hearing people talk endlessly about how we’re the worst country in the world”.
But as he made his passionate speech on last night’s show in Gillingham, Kent, one audience member began shouting “shame on you”.
Mr Kisin said: “I think at a cultural level there’s something perhaps even more important which is we’ve got to stop talking down our country.
“I’m a first-generation immigrant to this country and I get annoyed hearing people talk endlessly about how we’re the worst country in the world, we’re the most sexist country in the world, we’re the most racist.
“It’s all nonsense. This is one of the best places to live in the world and that’s what we should be talking about.”
At this point, a woman in the audience shouted: “Shame on you.”
Mr Kisin said: “This is exactly the problem that I’m talking about. You’re saying shame on you for talking up Britain. That is exactly the problem.”
The audience member continued to shout as Mr Kisin tried to finish what he was saying.
Host Fiona Bruce was forced to intervene as she urged the audience member not to call out.
She said: “There’s no point shouting out in the audience because the people at home can’t hear you. Let’s try not to talk over each other.”
The moment came as the show debated how to create hope for young people in the country.
