- Culture
- 04 Dec 19
Nish Kumar's performance at the Lord's Taverners Christmas Lunch received quite a bit of attention.
British comedian Nish Kumar received a rather frosty welcome at a Lord's Taverners charity gig in London on Monday. The host of BBC's The Mash Report was pelted with bread and was booed off stage after a Brexit joke.
Headlining the Lord's Taverners Christmas Lunch, which raised money for the youth cricket and disability sports charity, Kumar performed for free.
He told the Guardian afterwards, "I made what I considered to be some extremely mild jokes about Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees Mogg, Theresa May and the Brexit process for not going well."
Apparently, this joke was met with irritation by the audience who then booed the comedian. Someone even threw a bread roll at him.
Naturally, Kumar reacted with another joke, "It is dangerous to perform for a group of people largely descended from people who colonised my ancestors."
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Check out part of his performance below:
"I sort of knew what I was doing and I knew the risk," Kumar told the Guardian. "They were more easily offended than I thought they would be. I would like to apologise if I triggered any of them."
In response to his strange, new found "fame", the comedian also shared a series of hilarious tweets. "In my defense, it was only one bread roll and it missed me", he wrote in one.
In my defence, it was only one bread roll and it missed me
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) December 3, 2019
Someone from @BBCFrontRow just contacted me about doing an interview about the “politics of comedians doing corporates” because of what happened last night. Just to be clear, it was an unpaid charity. I had bread thrown at me doing an unpaid charity gig. What a life.
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) December 3, 2019
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— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) December 3, 2019
BBC Radio 1's Greg James also chimed in on the conversation, defending Kumar. In one Tweet, he 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. I was devastated for Nish (who gave his time for free)..."
"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", James added.
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At least, Kumar can use all the attention for a good cause. In another tweet, he says, "I understand I'm trending because someone threw bread at me. Anyway please donate to @chooselove & vote out the bread throwers on December 12th."
I understand I’m trending because someone threw bread at me. Anyway please donate to @chooselove & vote out the bread throwers on December 12th.
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) December 3, 2019