Terse exchange on Facebook

Sarah Millican has become embroiled with an online row with fans who filmed some of her stand-up show on their phones.

The comic told Clare Evans to stay away from future shows, branding her ‘disrespectful’ after catching her in the act.

Millican spotted Mrs Evans videoing her show at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Friday – and asked her to stop, exchanging some good-natured banter with her husband Paul as she did.

But things turned sour when Mrs Evans boasted about what she’d done on Facebook.

She wrote on Millican’s page: ‘Just seen your show in Wolves, it was fab, I was the lady videoing you in the front row, great show xxx.”

But the comic replied: ‘Did you delete it as I take these things very seriously? I really hope you don’t come to any more of my shows. You’re not welcome if you’re to behave in such a disrespectful way. What you did is basically theft and against the rules of the theatre.’

Mrs Evans then claimed she had only filmed a 10-second clip to show her mother, saying: ‘I think you are really funny . . . how you can say after I paid money to see you and without even knowing me that I am disrespectful is ridiculous.’

Other fans also became embroiled in the exchange, which has now apparently been removed from the page.

One, Richard Colston, wrote: ‘These people who you are bad-mouthing enable you to lead the life you live. They go to work and work hard to pay for tickets to come and see you. Paul and Clare have captured a few seconds of footage so they can remember their night and you are making a big deal about it.’

At least Millican didn’t go as far as Lee Hurst – who smashed one punter’s phone when he caught him videoing his show in Guildford in 2008.

Her agent declined to comment today.

Published: 7 Feb 2012