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30th Nov 2024

Dame Sheila Hancock says Jesus would have been cancelled if he were still alive

Nina McLaughlin

“Christ wouldn’t have lasted a minute.”

Dame Sheila Hancock has said that Jesus would be cancelled if he were alive today.

The legendary actress was speaking to The Telegraph ahead of the release of her episode of My Life at Christmas with Anita Rani of Countryfile.

The show is set to explore her Quaker faith, as well as festive memories throughout her life, as well as her experience of losing two husbands to cancer.

The 91-year-old opened up to The Telegraph about her journey with faith, stating: “The Catholicism is gone. I don’t believe in that at all.”

Hancock explained that she values Quakerism’s “prayerful silence”.

Quakers have services that focus on silence and reflection, in contrast to Catholicism’s rituals such as the sacrament.

She went on to say that Jesus is very important to her, but that she believes he would be cancelled if he were alive in this day and age.

“Christ wouldn’t have lasted a minute because he said exactly what he thought, he’d have been cancelled,” she said.

“I do believe, with all my heart, that you’ve got to say what you believe and take the risk of getting into trouble.

“But it’s easy for me to say that, because I don’t have a career that I have to be careful of. I’m gonna be gone soon.”

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas actress added that she herself is not afraid of cancel culture.

“I’m shortly going to be cancelled by death anyway,” she said.

“If I say something outrageous and I’m cancelled, I’m shortly going to be cancelled by death anyway,” she continued.

“It gives me a sort of ‘oh dear I don’t care, because I’m going’.”

You can watch My Life at Christmas with Anita Rani on BBC One on Sunday at 10.30am.