Comedian Jimmy Carr will perform at Sheffield City Hall but Roy Chubby Brown remains banned

Controversial comedian Jimmy Carr will play at Sheffield City Hall as planned – despite Roy Chubby Brown being banned from the same venue.
By Lucy Ashton
Published 21st Feb 2022, 15:21 BST
Updated 21st Feb 2022, 15:40 BST
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Sheffield City Trust, which runs the City Hall, has confirmed Carr’s show in March will go ahead but says his infamous joke will not be repeated.

Carr caused outrage when he joked about the horror of the Holocaust and referenced the murder of up to half a million Roma and Sinti people by the Nazi regime in his Netflix show His Dark Material.

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Jimmy Carr: Questions raised over if comedian should perform at Sheffield City H...
Comedian Jimmy Carr will play at Sheffield City Hall as planned – despite Roy Chubby Brown being banned from the venueComedian Jimmy Carr will play at Sheffield City Hall as planned – despite Roy Chubby Brown being banned from the venue
Comedian Jimmy Carr will play at Sheffield City Hall as planned – despite Roy Chubby Brown being banned from the venue

Health Secretary Sajid Javid described the joke as ‘horrid’, while Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said it was ‘abhorrent’ and suggested new legislation would hold streaming platforms like Netflix to account.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said the joke was ‘deeply’ disturbing, and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust said it was ‘appalled’ by the comment.

MORE: Here’s why Roy Chubby Brown is banned from Sheffield City Hall, what fans think and why councillors are debating it

Why is Chubby Brown banned but Jimmy Carr isn’t?

Comparisons have been drawn between how Jimmy Carr is booked to play Sheffield City Hall this March, where Roy Chubby Brown was banned from performing in 2021.Comparisons have been drawn between how Jimmy Carr is booked to play Sheffield City Hall this March, where Roy Chubby Brown was banned from performing in 2021.
Comparisons have been drawn between how Jimmy Carr is booked to play Sheffield City Hall this March, where Roy Chubby Brown was banned from performing in 2021.

Sheffield City Trust had previously cancelled Roy Chubby Brown at the City Hall, saying his show didn’t reflect its values over concerns about racism, homophobia and sexism.

But a spokesman said: “The Jimmy Carr performances at Sheffield City Hall will go ahead in line with the rest of the theatres also hosting the performances across the UK.

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“The booking was scheduled long before these comments came to light as the show was booked for September 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic.

“Sheffield City Trust does not in any way condone the comments made by Jimmy Carr and we have been assured by the promoter that the show does not repeat any material from Jimmy’s recent Netflix special His Dark Material.”

More than 41,630 people signed a petition calling on Sheffield City Trust to reverse its decision to cancel the show by Chubby, real name Royston Vasey.

Council Leader Terry Fox said the council, which is the main funder of Sheffield City Trust, ‘wholeheartedly’ supported the ban on Chubby.

But Coun Fox has not commented on Jimmy Carr. He recently attended the Holocaust Memorial Day, hosted by Sheffield Council, which included one minute of silence during a virtual vigil.

Related topics:Jimmy CarrNetflixSheffield CouncilBoris Johnson