Shit Comedians Say

WTF: Weekly Trivia File

‘It's good there is freedom of speech. This means I can say that I find Prince Charles sexually attractive.’ Russell Brand

There’s a good story that sums up Frank Carson from Jim Davidson, from when he organised a comedy festival in Dubai, where he lived to avoid tax. ‘There were about 20 comics in this festival but none as good as Frank – so he kept telling us!’ he wrote on his blog. ‘I remember Jason Manford being on stage, followed by Stephen K Amos and Frank continually heckled them. I told Frank to shut up, and asked, “Why are you doing this?” To which he replied, “Because they’re not funny.” He stood up in his chair and shouted loudly to the audience, “Thank God I’m here!” And funnily enough the audience agreed! He finally fell asleep in the elevator after totally exhausting himself.’ Exhausted as a newt, no doubt.

Oopsy. Publicists for the Silver comedy competition at the Leicester Comedy Festival put out the information about the winner last weekend, giving a quote from him and explaining his stage name. Only problem was Shelly Bridgman is not a he but a she. Or at least she is now – much of her set talks about how she was born a man. A corrected press release followed two days later, just as Bridgman was drawn into the row over the Green Party’s booking of female comedians.

Chewin The Fat star Greg Hemphill had an unnerving encounter with a ‘fan’ in an Aberdeen bar this week. The man who told Hemphill how much he loved his TV shows, then suddenly turned nasty, telling the comic to stop talking to him in a ‘stupid voice’ . Then tried to knee him in the nuts. ‘He was on something,’ Hemphill concluded.

Chortle readers will certainly identify with this: Australian comic Daniel Townes has recorded ‘his take on the latest internet meme: Shit Comedians Say (to other Comedians):

‘I’ve been accused by my management of saying nasty things about Michael [McIntyre] and they’ve said that’s why I don’t get my material on the television as often I should.’ Newcastle-based stand-up Gavin Webster, who is represented by Off The Kerb... the same company that looks after Michael McIntyre.

Tweets of the week
Neil Mawer (@_Enanem_): One birthday my parents bought me a pair of flip flops with matchbox cars Sellotaped to the bottom, bloody cheapskates.
Keith Platt (@KeithPlatt): Just noticed that "The World According To" Clarkson abbreviates to TWAT Clarkson.
jacques_aih (@jacques_aih): @: Just taking Bonnie Tyler for a coffee. So far she's spurned a Costa and a Starbucks. I think she's holding out for a Nero.