Comedian Vittorio Angelone has apologised after making a ‘joke’ about Rebecca Goodwin, who is going through a sexual assault trial.
While on the Have A Word podcast roast, he referenced her being raped and alleged that the culprit was ‘her dad’.
He’s now called the remark ‘pathetic’ and ‘not funny’ in response to growing backlash online almost a year, after he wrote the ‘joke’.
Rebecca took to social media to share how ‘deeply hurt’ she was by the comment, which was shared across various platforms.
In response to the backlash, Vittorio wrote: ‘I made a joke that I shouldn’t have made and I’d like to say sorry.
‘The joke referenced sexual violence. At the very least I should have run the joke past the person mentioned and then still not told it because it isn’t funny.
‘I let my need for validation supersede my own standards and morals. It’s completely pathetic and I’m ashamed to realise that about myself.’
He explained he ‘prides’ himself on tackling difficult topics and making them entertaining, and while he ‘stands behind’ other criticised jokes, ‘this is not one of them’.
Vittorio went on to apologise to anyone who is ‘rightly upset’ by the remark but acknowledged that it is ‘not going to make it okay’.
He said he was ‘grateful’ for being called out, especially by so many people, adding: ‘I will do better in future’.
The roast, which the content creator was not at, was recorded in late 2025, just months after she first reported the assault to the police.
It had been behind a paywall but recently gained traction when non-paying viewers were able to watch and share.
‘In a way I am grateful I never saw it sooner because it would’ve been just weeks after it happened and I was in a different mental state to what I am now,’ Rebecca shared on Facebook.
She noted that Adam Rowe, Daniel Sloss, and Freddy Quinne – who the ‘joke’ was aimed at – had reached out to apologise, but at the time of writing, Vittorio had not.
Rebecca continued: ‘Their apology only came a year after the joke was made and nobody had my back in that room at the time, up until I made a social media post about it. So their apology has been acknowledged but not accepted.’
Vittorio’s public apology came around six hours after Rebecca’s Facebook post, and he claimed to have reached out privately too.
‘As someone who has built his career as a leftist comedian, I am upset by his actions but never surprised anymore,’ she penned.
What to do if you've been raped
If you have been the victim of rape, either recently or historically, and are looking for help, support is out there.
- If you have recently been raped and you are still at risk, ring 999 and ask for the police. Otherwise, the first step is to go somewhere you are safe.
- If you want to report your rape to the police, ring 999 or the police non-emergency line on 101. An Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) will often be on hand to help you through reporting and even after you have made a statement, you can still decide to withdraw from the criminal justice process at any time.
- If you plan on going to the police, if possible, do not wash your clothes or shower, bathe or brush your teeth. If you do get changed, keep the clothes you were wearing in a plastic bag. These steps will help to preserve any DNA evidence your attacker may have left on your body or clothes.
- If you don’t want to contact the police, Rape Crisis suggest talking to someone you trust about what has happened; or you can ring one of the UK’s many rape and sexual assault helplines.
- Anyone aged 16+ can contact Rape Crisis's 24/7 Support Line by calling 0808 500 2222 or starting an online chat.
- If you have been injured, you’re best advised to go to your nearest A&E to seek medical treatment. If you are uninjured, you can go to your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC). The NHS has information on where to find your nearest centre here.
- If your rape is historic, you can still access support, including from the police – there is no time limit on reporting and your account can still be used as evidence.
Read more here.
‘I considered that a room full of people I would’ve ran to if ever I felt unsafe, in fact some of those people I did run to when I felt unsafe, I cried to them, they saw my hurt and 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.’
Rebecca, who is currently pregnant, asked for all material connected to her, both current and scheduled, to be removed from the podcast and its social media.
‘And if there’s any light to be taken from this, I hope we learn a lesson and I hope this is another point proven in the advocacy for women and girls in this femicide,’ she concluded.
Various rape charities have criticised Vittorio and the podcast for including the ‘joke’ and urged anyone impacted to reach out for support.