Sally Phillips criticises the BBC for only using a 'heinous' amount of female comedy writers and says 'I'm never going to be employed by them again'

Sally Phillips has criticised the BBC for only using a 'heinous' amount of female comedy writers. 

The actress, 56, who co-created and co-wrote comedy sketch show Smack The Pony, admitted she might never be employed by the channel again as she exposed how low the percentage of comedy writers is. 

While the star acknowledged there are more women doing comedy than ever before, she made it clear it is not enough and the industry is still 'dominated by white men'. 

Speaking on the Girls On Film podcast, she was asked what has changed for women and under represented people on the screen in comedy. 

She began: 'Obviously there’s a lot more women doing comedy, and there’s probably a lot more female producers of comedy. But I think things are not okay. 

'The stats on women directing and writing comedy TV comedy are pretty heinous. I think it’s 11 per cent of all TV comedies are directed by women only and the BBC I think that’s eight per cent.'

Commenting that her answer would jeopardise her relationship with the Beeb she added: 'I’m never going to be employed by the BBC again.' 

But undeterred she continued: 'If you remove the people who are married to BBC commissioners, that goes down to three per cent. 

'Writers rooms…this is more or less right…might be 18% writers rooms, sort of 17/18% mixed. But solo pieces written by women is a lot lower. 

'And when you look at women of colour, I think it’s 4.5 per cent comedies directed by women, but they do disproportionately well.  

'So we should have more things written and directed by women of colour. Well by women in general, particularly women of colour.'

She finished: 'Comedy is really, really dominated by white men. And it’s really hard to break away from that because if you’re not given chances then you’re not given a chance to fail actually.'

It comes after Sally recalled the 'horrible' abuse aimed at her son Olly after he starred in her 2016 BBC documentary, A World Without Down's Syndrome?

The Miranda actress, who shares Olly, 21, with her ex-husband, shipping director Andrew Bermejo, released the documentary to highlight their family life and the joys and unique challenges of raising a child with the condition.

While it was meant to offer an educational insight, Sally has now revealed that 'people said the most horrible things' about her son after it aired.

She told The Sunday Times: 'Olly has definitely been bullied online, and I feel like people with Down's Syndrome are more sensitive.

'They are more sensitive to grief, but will feel great joy, and so if you could make a social media environment that is safe for people with Down's syndrome, we'd all benefit. But I don't see it.

'Even when I did that film, people said the most horrible things.'

Sally added that she doesn't think 'anything good has ever come out of social media'.

When asked if she would ever do a follow-up documentary, she admitted that the last one 'cost her'.

While she is not sure about another documentary, the actress remains determined to keep writing things that have people with Down's syndrome in them.