Blessed Rain After The Drought

Scandal erupts in Denmark over TV show that brutally pranked comedian for four months Danish comedian Rasmus Wallbridge believed he was working with his friend Martin Larsen on a film adaptation of their long-standing idea — a comedy in the style of Scary Movie. In reality, the film project was an elaborate setup by broadcaster TV 2: 149 people, including Larsen, played out a staged scenario in front of Rasmus while hidden cameras captured everything. The footage was turned into a six-part series called Everybody Loves Rasmus. The comedian only discovered the truth at the end of filming. He initially took the prank calmly and agreed to the show being broadcast. However, after the first episode aired on October 26, the programme triggered a wave of criticism. Viewers, comedians and TV presenters described what happened as bullying and psychological abuse. One presenter called it “psychological torture”. On October 31, Wallbridge said he was not ready to take part in the discussion and asked the broadcaster not to use such methods again. That same day, TV 2 removed the show from all platforms and apologised to the comedian. Denmark’s Culture Minister also weighed in on the scandal, describing the programme as a “tasteless psychological experiment” and accusing the broadcaster of violating its own ethical standards.