ITV hit with Ofcom complaints from furious fans slamming Royal Variety Performance’s ‘sick’ jokes
THE Royal Variety Performance has been hit with Ofcom complaints following a ‘sick’ joke about Covid.
Comedian Simon Brodkin, 46, sparked outrage during his performance over the weekend, which was watched by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate.
The show received a total of 65 complaints to the broadcasting regulator, with 54 of them aimed at Simon.
The comedian has previously been known for his daring routines, including handing Theresa May a P45 and throwing money at FIFA President Sepp Blatter during a press conference.
But during the show he quipped that he “broke into a lab in Wuhan in 2019”, in reference to the outbreak of the deadly virus.
Simon told the audience: “I am the guy that did all the stunts and people always want to know if my stunts ever go wrong. Occasionally, late 2019 I broke into this laboratory in Wuhan. Sorry.”
The joke appeared to go down well with the audience but at the time social media was flooded with complaints about him joking about such a serious and recent topic.
One viewer raged: “HOW dare you make a DISGUSTING joke about the pandemic? I will be making a complete Ofcom about this you should be ashamed of yourself.”
A second complained: “The Wuhan joke was very poor taste. Many lost loved ones, or remain poorly – not funny.”
“Sorry, but jokes about Covid are in poor taste, we lost a family member to it. I’m a nurse and worked through it too, terrible times,” a third commented.
The show’s host Bradley Walsh also sparked debate when he got down on his knees and begged Prince William for a knighthood.
Addressing Prince William, he said: “Your Royal Highness, I worked for your gran, your great gran, your dad, your grandad, your great grandad, and now you.
“And I must say – ask me if I’ve got an MBE. Nah, ain’t got one.
“Ask me if I’ve got an OBE – nah, ain’t got one of them. Ask me if I’ve got a CBE – no!
“No. Not a sausage. Not even a member of the RAC any more.”
The TV legend, 63, delivered a long list of his services to comedy on stage at the Royal Albert Hall and said he’d “entertained troops in the Falklands” and was “happy to make it out alive”.
And he continued to make his point by taking a swipe at fellow TV stars.
He said: “Guess who they give them to? People on telly who bake cakes.”