DANCING ON THIN ICE
Skating show comic spread web claim that Theresa May planned concert bombing
ITV was under pressure to axe comedian Rufus Hound from Dancing On Ice last night over sick comments he made about the Manchester Arena terror attack.
The Twitter remarks claimed then-PM Theresa May orchestrated the May 2017 suicide bombing, which killed 22, in a bid to help the Tories win the General Election in June that year.
Hound, 41, posted the comments in 2017 but they have now re-emerged after he criticised ministers over their free school meals policy on Dancing On Ice.
In the wake of the bombing, at an Ariana Grande concert, Hound shared a Twitter user’s comment which said: ‘Given that the attacker was known to MI5, the timing seems fortunate for May that an attack “slips through” as Labour are making progress.’
He later remarked: ‘Apologies for mild tinhattedness, but I’ve been thinking the same. Esp. as she was Home Secretary for so long.’ Hound also compared the blast to the 1933 Reichstag fire in Germany, which was supposedly staged by the Nazis to bolster Hitler, according to The Sun On Sunday. The comments were later deleted and he apologised.
Robby Potter, 50, who almost died in the Manchester attack, told the Mail: ‘The comments are crass and offensive. ITV should boot him off the show straight away.’ Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke urged ITV to ditch stars who ‘use family shows as political platforms’.
Privately-educated Hound said yesterday: ‘My tweets upset people and I’m properly sorry for having tweeted them. I apologised, but, short of inventing a time machine, there’s not a lot else I can do.’ ITV declined to comment.
Myleene Klass became the first contestant to be dumped from the show last night. The former pop star, 42, had torn her knee cartilage in rehearsals.