South Park episode mocking Charlie Kirk pulled off air

A South Park episode satirising conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has been pulled from television schedules in the US in the wake of his murder. The right-wing activist was shot in the neck and killed at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (September 10) while hosting the first stop of his America Comeback Tour. He was 31. The episode in question, titled Got A Nut, aired on August 6 and featured Eric Cartman adopting the persona of a conservative pundit who debates college students, with clear nods to Kirk's hairstyle and mannerisms.

A gag award - the "Charlie Kirk Award for Young Masterdebaters" - was also included in the storyline. According to Deadline, reruns of Got A Nut have now been removed from Comedy Central's schedules following the shooting, though the episode remains available on Paramount+, the streaming service that hosts the series in both the US and UK. The episode is still available to watch in the UK.

Despite the mocking portrayal, Charlie Kirk himself had laughed off the cartoon. He branded it "hilarious" in a TikTok clip and told Fox News in an interview back in August: "We as conservatives should be able to take a joke, we shouldn't take ourselves so seriously."

But while Charlie dismissed the ribbing, some conservative social media users have reacted angrily since his death, claiming the episode fuelled hostility towards right-leaning figures. No evidence has so far linked the broadcast to his killing.

South Park's latest season has focused much of its satire on Donald Trump and his administration.

The US President has been depicted in a relationship with Satan and mocked for having a micro penis.

The White House previously blasted the show, saying it "hasn't been relevant for over 20 years".

Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone hit back with a tongue-in-cheek apology at San Diego Comic Con in July.

Charlie's murder sent shockwaves across America. The conservative firebrand, who founded Turning Point USA, was a close ally of Trump and known for his combative speeches on college campuses.

Police on Friday (September 12) arrested a suspect in the dad-of-two's assassination, identified by the FBI as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident.

Officials claimed during a press conference that they had recovered a "high-powered" bolt action rifle in the wake of the shooting.

They shared: "A family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident."