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‘Icky and uncomfortable’: Interviewer criticised for ‘tone deaf’ drug jokes on The Pitt panel

Patrick Bell has been open about his struggles with addiction

Oreoluwa Adeyoola
10th June 2026, 15:44
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An interviewer is being called out by The Pitt viewers after insensitive jokes about drug use on set, even though cast members have spoken about addiction struggles.

After an incredibly popular season two of The Pitt, the hospital drama has been renewed for a season three, premiering next January. The cast appeared on an Emmy For Your Consideration panel in the Academy Museum, moderated by podcaster and journalist Jon Levett.

Comments from the panel have been going viral for all the wrong reasons, including a side remark about coke usage on set directed at Patrick Bell, who has opened up about his previous struggles with addiction.

“You guys doing coke or whatever in the break room? He’s got those eyes; it’s fine. Meanwhile, you don’t get the same thing,” the interviewer said. “Is that not part of it? Any comment, Patrick?”

“Nope!” Patrick replied.

The video quickly circulated on X as viewers of The Pitt highlighted the absurdity of the comment and the generally unfocused nature of most of the questions. In another clip, the moderator claimed Shabana Azeez would find it easier to do an American accent as an Australian, which she swiftly shut down.

“What has happened to normal etiquette? Half the questions and comments were so ass like what did we learn?” one person on X said in response to the video. “Nothing. But sure, let’s make a drug joke while sitting criss-cross applesauce like bro get a different job at that point.”

In a January interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Patrick Bell opened up about his experience with drug addiction, in light of his portrayal of Dr Frank Langdon, who struggles with addiction in the series.

via HBO

“This is something that affects my life and the lives of many people that I love, and so to be asked to be part of telling this story was an honour and a responsibility, and something that I wanted to make sure that we did with the utmost respect and realism,” he said.

“I didn’t want anybody to feel like this was a suffering Olympics or anything like that. And I wanted to make sure that we understand that addiction is a disease. It’s been very important to me that we believe that rehabilitation is possible and change is possible, and that nobody out there who may be suffering from addiction feels like they are too far gone or that they’re going to be stigmatised and laughed at by this show.”

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Featured image via hBO/X