Chubby Brown responds to council ban on his Kirkby concert

The controversial comedian was due to perform at the Festival Hall Kirkby until the authority pulled the plug this week.

A spokesman for ADC said: “Ashfield District Council, as owner of the Festival Hall, Kirkby, instructed the venue’s management company, SLM, who operate the site, to cancel a booking for Roy “Chubby” Brown.

“Cancelling the event has not cost the council anything, nor would it have gained financially from the event.

“The booking was cancelled prior to the event being put on sale.

“The council does not feel that the booking was appropriate for a council venue and not one that it wished to be associated with.

“Roy “Chubby” Brown is quite able to perform in a non-council venue in Ashfield.”

Chubby responded to the ban last night, saying: “I don’t know what their problem is, have you ever seen Sarah Millican?

“She can’t go two words without swearing.

“And compared to Jimmy Carr’s act, I’m like the Archbishop of Canterbury.

“It’s happened to me before. But if they don’t want me, it’s not the type of venue I want to play.”

Chubby’s agent Steven Lloyd said that the star had already paid out for promotional material for the gig.

He said: “It’s discrimination. You know when you book Chubby what type of show you’re going to get.

“It’s apparently down to one person in the council who saw the poster and didn’t fancy it.

“I’d been told that there’d been more interest in Chubby’s show than any other show held there.

“I know that Chubby’s fans around Nottinghamshire will be disappointed he’s not appearing.

“And it means we lose out on money and it harms our reputation.

“Other comedians can say what they want and still get a booking.”

In a post on his Facebook page, Independent Councillor Tom Hollis said; “It’s crazy to think Ashfield Council have today cancelled a Roy Chubby Brown concert which was scheduled to take place at the festival hall. Saying Mr Brown is ‘against the council’s ethics’.

“Fair to say he has some controversial jokes in his set and many people would disagree with his stance. However surely people who buy a ticket to see him are fully aware of the performance he gives.

“For Ashfield Council to bar a well known performer from coming to our area is simply crazy, particularly when the council needs all the money it can get....I say have some common sense.”