Get the latest gossip

‘Comedy and art should push up against a line’: Rich Peppiatt on class, controversy and Kneecap

Ex-tabloid reporter shares how an encounter with Hugh Grant and Steve Coogan led to his acclaimed film about an Irish-language rap trio

Now Rich Peppiatt is heading for the red carpet and is in with a chance for six Baftas and 17 Iftas, the Irish equivalent, for Kneecap, the scabrous, semi-autobiographical story of the Belfast Irish-language rap trio. So how did a London-born tabloid reporter go from chasing celebrities in silly outfits to making an acclaimed satirical comedy centring one of the most sensitive subjects in the country, ridiculing unionists and republicans alike, and starring Michael Fassbender? For the Guardian, which had covered his Leveson experiences, he made a handful of videos including a mock Top Gear audition starring Polly Toynbee, among other columnists, as alternatives to Jeremy Clarkson.

Get the Android app