Comedian slammed over 'sick' Covid joke made at Royal Variety Performance

18 December 2023 , 09:17

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Comedian slammed over 'sick' Covid joke made at Royal Variety Performance

Comedian Simon Brodkin has been branded "disgusting" over a joke he made at the Royal Variety Performance.

The 46-year-old appeared on the line-up alongside the likes of Cher, Melanie C, McFly and singer and actress Hannah Waddingham. But while he initially had the audience in fits of laughter, things soon turned sour for Simon.

While being welcomed to the stage, host Bradley Walsh told the audience that Simon was responsible for several viral moments which included throwing money at Sepp Blatter during a press conference. He also famously handed former Prime Minister Theresa May a P45 during a Conservative Party conference.

Simon Brodkin has been slammed for a joke he made at The Royal Variety Performance (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Opening his set in front of Their Royal Highnesses Prince William and Princess Kate of Wales, Simon said: "I am the guy that did all the stunts and people always want to know if my stunts ever go wrong. Occasionally, in late 2019 I broke into this laboratory in Wuhan, sorry." Although the audience at The Royal Albert Hall laughed at his joke, many at home instantly took offence and branded is "disgusting".

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one enraged viewer penned: "The Wuhan joke was very poor taste. Many lost loved ones, or remain poorly - not funny." While a second fumed: "HOW dare you make a DISGUSTING joke about the pandemic? I will be making a complete Ofcom about this you should be ashamed of yourself."

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Prince William and Princess Kate attended alongside Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland and Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden,

"Sorry, but jokes about Covid are in poor taste, we lost a family member to it. I'm a nurse and worked through it too, terrible time," commented another. While a fourth viewer typed: "Very distasteful and insensitive joke about the Wuhan Labs. Many people lost their lives to Covid!" As another commented: "Was Simon Brodkin making a joke about Covid?? The joke about him breaking to a laboratory if so that's not funny that's sick!"

Coronavirus became known in 2019 before eventually spreading across the globe in 2020, causing many countries, including the United Kingdom to go into a complete lockdown. In the UK, many were only allowed to leave their house for essential items including a food shop and for one hour of exercise per day.

In England alone, in 2021, there were 73,299 deaths registered that involved Covid. 63,555, were due to the virus itself, whereas in Wales, 3,650 died from Covid. Restrictions surrounding the virus which originated in Wuhan, China, eventually began to ease across England in March 2021, with many restrictions being lifted in July of the same year.

Daniel Bird