Dame Esther Rantzen has criticised Maureen Lipman's views on 'Jewface' casting, calling it 'sad' that Dame Lipman objects to Dame Helen Mirren playing former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in an upcoming film.

In a letter to the Times newspaper, Rantzen wrote: “Omid Djalili, who is a Baha’i, delighted audiences in Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye, whose Judaism is intrinsic to his character and the plot, Sir Ben Kingsley is a Quaker who was nominated for a Bafta for his role as the Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern in Schindler’s List.

"And Lipman herself triumphed as Joyce Grenfell, even though Lipman is Jewish and Grenfell was a Christian Scientist.

“The crucial criterion is that they all created authentic characters rather than racial caricatures.”

Earlier this week, Lipman sparked controversy after she told the JC she was not comfortable with Helen Mirren, who is not Jewish, playing Israeli leader Golda Meir in the forthcoming movie Golda.

“With that I disagree, because the Jewishness of the character is so integral,” said Ms Lipman, who sees extra Jewish significance in the fact that Meir was President of Israel.

“I’m sure she [Mirren] will be marvellous, but it would never be allowed for Ben Kingsley to play Nelson Mandela. You just couldn’t even go there.”

In recent weeks, Dame Lipman has also said that she feels cancel culture is destroying comedy, telling BBC Radio 4: "This cancel culture, this punishment, it's everywhere. An eye for an eye. 'You said that, therefore you must never work again.' We're on the cusp of wiping out comedy."

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