Simon Amstell says veganism is ‘one thing to stop human beings from ceasing to exist’

Simon Amstell has described veganism as “one thing” humans can do to deal with the “systemic” problems of climate change.

The stand-up comedian has been vegan for many years and in 2017 made the mockumentary TV film Carnage, which is set 50 years into the future in which everyone is vegan and people are struggling with guilt for their past meat and dairy consumption.

The film was well-received, with The Independent’s Max Benwell calling it “the world’s first vegan comedy that’s actually funny”.

However, despite Carnage being widely watched, Amstell has revealed in a new interview that many viewers struggled to understand the message at the heart of the film.

“I went to a dinner party where the people in front of me were both saying they loved the film, whilst eating the leg of a chicken,” the comic told BBC News.

“There’s very few things you can do as an individual because the problems are systemic. But if you want to do one thing to stop human beings from ceasing to exist, then have a chickpea!”

Carnage is narrated by Amstell and features an all-star cast including Gemma Jones, Lindsay Duncan, Samantha Spiro, JME and Joanna Lumley.

During a recent appearance on Lorraine, Amstell left viewers in hysterics as he criticised “awful daytime TV” and mocked Loose Women’s former all-white presenting line-up.

“It was a different time, wasn’t it? It was a different time, 2016,” he said.

Carnage is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.