Stand-up comedian Nish Kumar was booed off stage at a charity gig on Monday, after making a joke about politics.
Nish was a guest performer at the Lord’s Taverners annual charity dinner, which raises money for the youth cricket and disability sports charity.
However, the audience was unimpressed with a political joke Nish made during his set, which ended in him being booed and even having a bread roll thrown at him.“I think it’s to my credit I’ve managed to make it 10 minutes here,” he was heard saying in video footage posted from his set. “You are the only audience in my entire 13-year history of performing that have actually thrown something at me.”
He then joked: “It is dangerous to perform for a group of people largely descended from people who colonised my ancestors.”
After media outlets began reporting on the incident, Nish tweeted: “In my defence, it was only one bread roll and it missed me.”In my defence, it was only one bread roll and it missed me— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) December 3, 2019Radio 1 DJ Greg James – a patron of the charity, who was present at the dinner – also tweeted about the incident on Tuesday morning.
Pointing out that Nish was performing at the charity event for free, Greg wrote: “Because I’m seeing some inaccurate press reports, I’d just like to say that the treatment of @MrNishKumar by some members of the crowd at the @LordsTaverners fundraising
Christmas lunch yesterday was appalling.
“It’s a charity I was proud to be an ambassador of and the work they do with disadvantaged young people is extraordinary. But yesterday served as a timely reminder that disagreeing with someone doesn’t mean you have the right to abuse them verbally or physically.”He added: “I was devastated for Nish (who gave his time for free) [and] I was embarrassed to be there. On an afternoon that was supposed to be about kindness, there was a distinct lack of it in the room.”Because I’m seeing some inaccurate press reports, I’d just like to say that the treatment of @MrNishKumar by some members of the crowd at the @LordsTaverners fundraising Christmas lunch yesterday was appalling. It’s a charity I was proud to be an ambassador of...— Greg James (@gregjames) December 3, 2019...and the work they do with disadvantaged young people is extraordinary. But yesterday served as a timely reminder that disagreeing with someone doesn’t mean you have the right to abuse them verbally or physically. I was devastated for Nish (who gave his time for free)...— Greg James (@gregjames) December 3, 2019I was embarrassed to be there. On an afternoon that was supposed to be about kindness, there was a distinct lack of it in the room.— Greg James (@gregjames) December 3, 2019HuffPost
UK has contacted Nish’s agent for further comment.
The dinner also featured a Q&A between Harry Redknapp and Match Of The Day’s Jacqui Oatley.
Nish is best known as the host of the satirical news show The Mash Report, which airs on
BBC Two.