Jimmy Carr reflects on hilarious Sean Lock joke about his tax avoidance scandal

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Jimmy Carr has reflected on Sean Lock’s brutal 8 Out of 10 Cats joke about his tax avoidance scandal.

Lock, who died of cancer, aged 58, in August, regularly appeared alongside the comedian on the panel show. In one episode, he mocked Carr over the controversy.

“We all like to put a bit of money away for a rainy day, but I think you’re more prepared than Noah,” he told Carr, to laughs and applause from the audience.

Carr, reflecting on this quip in a new interview with The Guardian, said: “I took a tomato to the face from Sean Lock.”

A tearful Carr also revealed that Lock was a huge support in the wake of the scandal, stating: “When that’s happening to you, you never forget the people who were good to you. And he was so good to me.

“He said: ‘Are you OK? All right, we’ll handle this.’ And then he went out there, was super funny about it, no judgment.”

The 48-year-old was notoriously exposed for taking part in a tax avoidance scheme in 2012.

An investigation by The Times accused Carr of sheltering £3.3m a year through the K2 scheme, a legal way of lowering the amount of tax paid.

Carr apologised at the time, saying he made an “error of judgement”.

“I’m no longer involved in it and will in future conduct my financial affairs much more responsibly. Apologies to everyone,” he said.

Reflecting on his time working with Lock, Carr said: “After he died I looked back and went: ‘Hang on – was I in a double act?’ We did 250 TV shows together and I sort of didn’t notice.”

Lock is survived by his wife Anoushka and their three children.