Comic likens the scenes to Grand Theft Auto

Mo Gilligan has told of the moment he was tailed by six police cars and a helicopter - likening it to Grand Theft Auto scene. 

The comic says he was pulled over as the cops suspected his car was stolen – but the situation dissipated when one of the officers recognised him from TV.

Speaking on the   Louis Theroux podcast, he recalled: ‘This was when I was doing TV… It was me and a mate of mine, who's my stylist. They followed us for ages and then they were in an unmarked car and pulled me over and there were probably about six cars and a helicopter.

‘When the helicopter came, it was weird because obviously I hadn't done anything, but I was like, "Ooh, wow, this is a little bit exciting." But also "You're really wasting your time" Then some of the officers, I could tell they were a bit like, "Oh, I think I recognise that guy.’

‘They said that the car that I had was previously stolen. And I was like, "Is it the same car, colour, or is it the same number plate? They're two different things.’ But they never really gave me an answer.

‌'In the end, it was like, "Oh, it's just not the same car." And once they knew, everyone just scattered. Every, every car was just like, "Oh, well, it's not him then." Helicopter gone.’

‘Part of me was thinking, "This is a lot. I don’t need six cars and a helicopter, At the same time, it did feel a bit like GTA when you get five or six stars." 

Theroux also asked Milligan about a story he’s told in his  stand-up, in which he declined to wear a chicken suit a  TV producer wanted him to don/

He explained: ‘I can’t say which show it was but I was like, "I’m just not feeling this. I’m just not feeling this at all."

‘It wasn’t malice, but I guess as a young black man in this space you feel like if you say no, you then might get the card of "oh, he’s very difficult, very hard to work with". Now I only know that because it’s stuff that I’ve heard before from other people that have been in this space.

‘I’m not trying to be a diva, but I do want to have ownership of what I do and how I do it." You have to stand up for what you believe in, and you’re like, "my morals just tell me I don’t want to do that because I’m going to be laughed at, and I don’t want to be laughed at".

‘I’m representing almost the whole community. They’re going to be the ones who sit there and be like, "Oh bro, what are you doing? That’s just not it. Why are you wearing a chicken suit?’"

•The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Gilligan was speaking to promote his Netflix documentary  Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy, in which he ate only the fried meat for a month.

Published: 4 Aug 2026