Craig Ferguson risked his own career in 2007 by refusing to poke fun at Britney Spears' struggle
Undoubtedly, Craig Ferguson is one of the most beloved talk show hosts, who always made his interactions with guests entertaining. However, there was a time when Ferguson risked his job when he refused to crack jokes at someone else's misery. Not only did Ferguson boldly refuse to make fun of Britney Spears during a particularly difficult period in her life, but he also shared his own struggles with addiction. Despite a threat to his job, Ferguson remained firm in his choice, making for one of the most heartwarming moments on TV.
Ferguson's decision not to mock Spears gained major support during the release of 'Framing Britney Spears.' The documentary explored Spears' conservatorship drama, the #FreeBritney movement, and the media's harsh treatment that led to her public breakdown. It also brought forth how journalists and talk show hosts mocked Spears during her struggles. However, Ferguson's decision to defend Spears instead of mocking her during a 2007 monologue in 'The Late Late Show'—what he later called his "Jerry Maguire moment"—went viral.
On February 19, 2007, Ferguson reportedly refused to mock Spears amid her public struggles, as he revealed in a December 2019 interview with Yahoo Entertainment/SiriusXM Volume. Ferguson recalled that when he arrived at work on Monday morning, the Spears jokes were already prepared, but he refused to use them. "I was like, 'No. I'm not doing it.' And I didn't," he said. Ferguson admitted he was really upset and decided to follow his instincts, saying, "It just struck me as the right thing to do in the moment." He further insisted he "didn't have an agenda" and "wasn't setting forth a manifesto" when he chose not to mock Spears. However, as a recovering alcoholic who had experienced his own struggles, her public breakdown deeply resonated with him.
"When I saw what happened to her that weekend, that happened to coincide with my own 15 years of sobriety [anniversary]—that same weekend," he shared. "And I thought, 'I don't know what I want to do on the show, but I'm f***ing sure I don't want to do this.'" Instead of milking Spears' struggles, Ferguson went onstage and addressed the audience directly, declaring, "Tonight, no Britney Spears jokes." Despite some nervous laughter from the crowd, he stood firm, dedicating the next 12 minutes to sharing his personal experiences with addiction and recovery while expressing genuine concern for Spears, Yahoo! Entertainment reported.
Reflecting on his own past, he said, "What [Spears is] going through reminds me of what I was doing. It's an anniversary; you start to think about it. It reminds me of where I was 15 years ago when I was living like that. Now, I'm not saying Britney Spears is an alcoholic; I don't know if she's an alcoholic or not. But she clearly needs help.”
Talking about Spears, her erratic behavior began in 2007 after her divorce from Kevin Federline and loss of custody of her children, as per BBC. Public incidents, including shaving her head and an altercation with paparazzi, raised concerns about her mental health. In 2008, she was hospitalized twice under psychiatric evaluations, leading to a temporary conservatorship that was later made permanent. Her father, Jamie Spears, controlled both her personal and financial affairs, claiming the arrangement was necessary to protect her well-being. He stepped down as her conservator in 2019 due to health reasons. The conservatorship officially ended on November 12, 2021.