A public service broadcaster in Belgium has been forced to apologise, after radio presenters smashed statues of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary on air.
Presenters on VRT’s Studio Brussel took hammers to the icons in a “rage room” during a ‘Blue Monday’ segment, for what is often claimed as the saddest day of the year in January.
Questioned about the sketch this week, the hosts and producer said they would not do the same for a symbol of Islam or Judaism.
But during the course of their interview with journalist Colum Flynn, they went from defending their actions to acknowledging the offence it caused.
Sam De Bryn, Studio Brussel executive producer, said that the statues were already broken and that Belgium, and the listenership, was not very religious.
Asked about whether he would do the same for an item related to Muhammad, he replied: “that is a very dangerous one”.
Presenter Eva De Roo said it would be “inappropriate” because there are many Muslims in the country, with co-host Dries Lenaerts saying he would not do the same for a Star of David.
“We have all been raised Catholic, so that gives us a little more credit to do this,” De Bryn added.
Flynn questioned whether it showed "hypocrisy" that Christian symbols could be smashed, to which the executive producer said he would not have done the sketch on other stations.
De Roo then interrupted: “Now we’re having this conversation, I’m so sorry Colum, we shouldn’t have done it. We didn’t think that much about it.” She said if a listener were to have text in with the points Flynn was making, they would have called them up to discuss it on the radio.
The interview has been viewed more than one million times on X, prompting a VRT spokesperson to respond that the sketch was “misjudged”.
“Eva and Dries apologize. The video was intended as a humorous act, and they underestimated how sensitive religious symbols can be. They understand that this was hurtful to some people and would make different choices today. VRT considers it important that all its employees show respect for every religion. Our aim is not to compare religions, but to treat everyone's beliefs with care,” the statement read.
Responding to the attention the interview has received, Flynn said he was “grateful to the two hosts and their producer for engaging in a respectful and honest conversation”.
He urged people to “continue this debate in a respectful and courteous way”, condemning “hate speech” directed at the Studio Brussel team.
Flemish culture minister Cieltje Van Achter posted on X that it was a “particularly painful clip”. “It is good that it is also acknowledged at the end that people should have thought this through more carefully. Think before you act. And yes, one should be able to laugh at all religions”, she added.