Chubby’s manager: The world’s gone mad
ROY ‘Chubby’ Brown’s tour manager has hit out at council officials for cancelling another date on the comedian’s tour, claiming “snowflake culture wins again”.
Lancaster City Council has scrapped an appearance by the funny-man next month, saying it “doesn’t believe Mr Brown’s shows are compatible” with the organisation’s values of being “fair, diverse and inclusive”.
Within a few hours of chief executive Mark Davies’ announcement on Tuesday, a Change.org petition urging officers to ‘let Chubby Brown perform in Morecambe’ was growing fast with hundreds adding their signatures.
Chubby – real name Royston Vasey – is known for his foul-mouthed routines. Last September, protesters gathered outside Sheffield’s City Hall crying ‘we want Chubby’ after his gig was cancelled.
Mr Davies’ statement said: “Following concerns raised by our community, Lancaster City Council has taken the decision to cancel the appearance of Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown at the Platform in Morecambe this August.
“We understand that this decision will disappoint some people, but we are proud to be a fair, diverse and inclusive organisation and do not believe that Mr Brown’s shows are compatible with these values.”
Reacting to the decision, Roy’s tour manager Ritchie Hoyle has said: “I feel like I’m playing the same record over and over again!
“We had a call from The Platform in Morecambe this morning,” he said, “informing us that Morecambe Council in their wisdom have listened to 59 people who signed a so-called petition against Chubby performing in august at The Platform!! And yet again ignoring the thousands who support Chubby’s right to perform! And they have decided on your behalf..!
“That the Chubby show in Morecambe in August can no longer go ahead... and has to be cancelled, does this sound familiar? All I can do is apologise but it’s out of our hands, I repeat this is not the venue’s decision who were happy to book Chubby, but a council decision!
“So if you need explanations as to why they have taken this ridiculous action! Please direct your questions to Morecambe Council, only they have the answers apparently, we didn’t get an explanation just a cancellation call.”
He added: “Cancellation/snowflake/ woke culture wins again I’m afraid!!! “The world’s gone mad.”
“It’s all kicking off in Morecambe,” one Twitter user typed, “free speech vs censorship shenanigans and Roy Chubby Brown.”
Chubby fan Daniel Armitage, who started the petition, said: “I’m getting sick of tired of people who dislike Roy Chubby Brown, he’s a jokeist, he does a lot for charity, if people don’t like him then move on.
“Don’t ruin it for other people. Roy is a caring person.”