Daily Star

MP CIRCUS IS INSULT TO US REAL CLOWNS

‘We would have sorted Brexit two years ago’

- By ALEXANDER BROWN alex.brown@dailystar.co.uk

A WORLD-renowned clown has claimed that people comparing Britain’s top politician­s to his profession is offensive.

Award-winning big-top star David Konyot says real-life circus performers are actually extremely organised and very profession­al.

And he is offended by suggestion­s that the politician­s negotiatin­g Brexit are “clowns”.

The 71-year-old said: “I am a prizewinni­ng internatio­nal musical clown, part of an honourable profession, and am deeply offended by the misuse and misreprese­ntation of ‘clown’ in connection with parliament­ary or other forms of chaotic behaviour.

“Over the past 20 years, they’ve started using the word ‘circus’ to describe a chaotic political mess.

“You couldn’t find anything further from a mess, a circus relies on 100% co-operation and teamwork, it relies on everybody knowing their job and doing it.”

He also took offence with the process of leaving the European Union being called a “circus”, labelling the comparison “insulting and very offensive”.

He added: “We are artists and performers.

“None of this is taken into account when they say ‘these Brexit clowns’.

“If circuses and clowns had organised Brexit, we would have had it done two years ago.” A former co-chairman of the Associatio­n of Independen­t Showmen, Mr Konyot claimed clowns were so organised the military relied on them for help.

The Norfolk-based funnyman revealed that in 1906 the US military

NO COMPARISON: David Konyot contacted Barnum & Bailey’s circus to learn “up to date methods of moving men, animals and baggage”.

Performing in London’s West End, he has been named Britain’s best comedy clown act four times.

He also dismissed the idea of killer clowns and claimed bad lighting had meant more make-up was used in the past to keep the expression­s visible to the crowd.

The performer said lighting was better now, so there was no need for “bloody uncomforta­ble” make-up.

He added: “Thank goodness for modern lighting, so we don’t have to do it.”

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