The joke that nearly broke Reuben Kaye was meant to be the safer, softer, conservative option. The drag artist, comedian and cabaret star waltzed onto the set of Network 10’s The Project more than three years ago, dressed to the nines, wearing his warpaint, armed with his zingers and ready for his close-up. Live television is rarely truly live and unscripted, however, meaning Kaye had been provided with his big set-up question from the panel – How do people react to you? – well in advance.

Kaye is queer, and cutting, and so was his first draft reply: “How do people react to me? People have called me genre-bending, gender-bending, the boy next door – oops, sorry, that’s George Pell’s shopping list.” So far, so provocative. His second option? “Well, I get a bit of flak online.…