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The Project panellist Michael Hing has found himself under fire after joking that he wished Prince Andrew was dead.
The Australian comedian was reflecting on the major events of the past year on Tuesday night’s episode of the news program, including the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September.
But it was when discussing the late monarch that he joked her son should be next.
‘2022 was so depressing, obviously, the Queen died, but maybe next year will be better and Prince Andrew will die,’ he said.
He clearly caught his co-hosts Kate Langbroek, Hamish Macdonald and Georgie Tunny off-guard, who looked shocked and started laughing.
Members of the audience also let out audible groans, to which Hing laughed and said: ‘Come on! Are you defending Prince Andrew now?’
Australian comedian and TV host Michael Hing is in a bit of hot water for his remark (Picture: Channel 10)
Langbroek continued the joke and asked if Prince Andrew would be singled out as Hing’s ‘person of the year’, to which he quickly replied ‘no’.
While his comments elicited some laughs in the studio, some watching along at home didn’t take to the joke too kindly.
‘Wishing someone dead on live TV is disgusting and disgraceful no matter the reason,’ one person wrote on Twitter.
The comment caught the other panellists on The Project off-guard (Picture: Channel 10)
One person called his remarks ‘tasteless’, while others went so far as to call for Hing to be fired.
It was just this week that Hing was announced as one of the new panellists on the show, which has faced a huge shake up in recent weeks after three of its hosts abruptly quit.
Hing, who is a host on youth radio station Triple J also hosts the Australian version of Celebrity Letters & Numbers.
Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 (Picture: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
He will appear on The Project every Friday and Sunday night from next year.
When announcing the new line-up for 2023, executive producer Chris Bendall said Hing was part of a move to bring more humour to the news.
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‘Comedy is at the centre of what The Project does and given the news has never been more in need of a laugh,’ he said.
In January, Andrew was stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages with the approval of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.
Now eighth in line to the throne, it came after Andrew paid a financial settlement to Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexual assault, a claim he denied.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Channel 10 and Michael Hing for comment.
The Project airs on Channel 10 in Australia.
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The comments quickly sparked a strong response online.
