Find Live comedy

Add a listing

Live Comedy in London |
Manchester | Scotland

Was Alfie Brown really cancelled over N-word routine? | Comic apologises for using term in newly unearthed footage

Was Alfie Brown really cancelled over N-word routine?

Comic apologises for using term in newly unearthed footage

Alfie Brown may not have had his gigs cancelled for using a racist slur in his stand-up, Chortle understands.

Sources close to the comedian say it was his decision not to play scheduled gigs at London’s Up The Creek comedy club this weekend, adding that he was NOT dropped over the 2015 routine in which he used the N-word.

It’s said he wanted to spend time with his family before heading to Australia to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, which starts nex week.

However the situation is unclear as the comedian has declined to speak about the situation and Up The Creek has not responded to a request for comment.

Campaigners had  lobbied for his removal from the bill following the emergence of the clip, in which he talks about a mixed-race friend who calls him, ‘my n****’, using the word in full.

Brown goes on to say: ‘He identifies as black which is an interesting thing I think a lot of people do… even though on a Dulux colour chart, it's a shorter walk to get to me for him than to get to Akon

‘When you when you say to a white person "you're my n*****" you can't like respond in kind… I can't say "you're my n******" because when he calls me "his n*****" it's spelt with an "a" on the end. When I say "n******", it's got an "er"  totally different word.’

He accepts it's a ‘horrible word’ but adds: ‘For white people it's almost a hobby to hate the word n****’ suggesting it’s almost virtue-signalling to take offence.

Here is the routine, which does contain the offensive term in full, as well as many others.

Brown has now issued an apology for the routine, saying: ‘I agree with all the criticism of the video being circulated and   apologise unreservedly for the abhorrent racial language I used.

‘It was recorded in 2015 and years ago I realised my mistake and made every attempt to remove it, not because I was scared of it being found, but because it was wrong. And hurtful. I was ignorant.

‘It was a young comedian’s arrogant attempt to be transgressive as the routine’s intention was to be anti-racist. But it was stupid, I regret it, and have regretted it for a long time. It became clear that me using that language wasn’t ever justified, even if trying to  undermine it.

‘I’ve never suffered racism and now years later this  material is causing pain to people who have.’

Many comedians also challenged Brown’s use of the word. Kemah Bob posted: ‘Wait a minute... *I* an actual Black person don't even feel comfortable saying the N word on stage [so] what in the clan rally is Alfie Brown thinking?’

Nabil Abdulrashid sent a message to him saying: Not gonna lie, it's very fortunate for you that you weren't doing this material when we gigged together on Saturday.. wtf?"

Mark Grimshaw said: 'Very concerned by how many white comedians I’ve seen defending Alfie Brown saying the routine was "ill-thought out", he was "naive", that "we’ve all made mistakes" and "accidentally offended people". Jesus Christ, the man was shouting racial slurs, have some fucking standards.'

Brown was previously taken to task about his use of the N-word when he was quizzed on the BBC's No Country For Young Women podcast in 2018. Then he said: ‘I wanted to do a bit about modern slavery and slavery's more offensive than the word…. I just chose to offend people with the word to highlight the horror of something I felt was more important than just a reaction to language.’

The offesive clip was brought to light after Brown accused the Corbynite wing of the Labour party of antisemitism, prompting the former leader’s supporters to fight back and claim it is the comic who is the racist.

A Twitter feed called Red Collective was instrumental in lobbying for Brown's removal from the Up The Creek gig.It posted: 'I have now spoken with the @UTCComedyclub  team, who were very polite and understanding. They have confirmed that Alfie Brown is no longer performing at there tomorrow night. It is very reassuring to see a venue who refuse to platform those guilty of repeated racism and hatred.'

IThe account also accused the comedian of libel for suggesting Jeremy Corbyn was antisemetic, addressing Brown directly to say: ‘It's ironic you make this false allegation, given you yourself are a fully evidenced racist.’

The unearthing of Brown's old material apparently kicked off when an audience member called him out on social media for his opinions on the antisemitic left.

The comic explained online: ‘I was doing a work in progress of my new show Red Flags Galore! and made a joke, it’s not in the show, I was off on some tangent, "I’m what’s often described by some on the left as a ‘centrist’, which means I’m also left wing but I don’t hate Jews"’

He added: ‘I’m very up for singing ‘FUCK THE TORIES’ but for the last 7/8 years many of my fellow comics who purport to be anti racist have been silent on Corbyn’s persistent and provable antisemitism, so if it seems like I mention it a lot, that’s why.’

The Corbynistas have also taken issue with other of Brown’s routines, including one from the same 2015 show in which he joked about finding the teenage star of Matilda attractive.

He has been called a 'nepo baby' as he is the son of Dead Ringers impressionist Jan Ravens and musician Steve Brown, Harry Hill's regular collaborator who played bandleader Glen Ponder in Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge

In another routine highlighted by his dectrators, Brown mocked his own ego for getting upset when a TV appearance was overshadowed by the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which his opponents have portrayed him as joking about the 72 deaths. And in a third, he accuses Greta Thunberg of ignoring some of the biggest polluters.

Published: 24 Mar 2023

Live comedy picks

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.