Roy Chubby Brown’s manager says Sheffield City Hall ban is ‘ludicrous and unfair’

More than 41,630 people have signed a petition calling on Sheffield City Trust to reverse its decision to cancel the comedian’s show at the City Hall.

Any petition to Sheffield Council which has more than 5,000 signatures automatically triggers a debate at full council.

Sheffield City Trust said the show didn’t reflect its values and cancelled it over concerns about racism, homophobia and sexism.

But Roy Chubby Brown’s tour manager Ritchie Hoyle has released a statement via the petition on Change.org thanking fans for their support through the “strange times of snowflakes and political correctness gone mad”.

He has called the ban “ludicrous, unfair and disgraceful”.

Mr Hoyle said: “I have worked on the show for over 30 years but here’s a little insight into Royston Vasey, the actual person and my friend, not the act.

“I have genuinely never met a more generous, caring, selfless person in my life. Roy has helped charities for years donating thousands of pounds and has never once asked for any credit or media coverage, he’s just happy to help those not as fortunate and to try make their lives easier any way he can.

“If the people who are objecting to Roy’s act did just 10 per cent of what Roy does for their communities a lot of people would be a lot better off.

“Roy is a loving husband and family man through and through. He’s always there for his family and he’s the same with all of us who work on his show with him – his second family as Roy says.

“It really saddens me to hear that a handful of people who obviously don’t know the actual Royston Vasey plan to protest against his act and ruin a night out for hundreds of people.

“When did it become acceptable for a few disgruntled individuals to dictate what hundreds of people are allowed to do with their free time behind closed doors?”

In response to the criticism about the show being sexist and homophobic, Mr Hoyle says the tour has 12 staff, two of whom are homosexual men, and several women.

He added: “I would suggest people should not make judgements without knowing all the facts.

“Maybe it’s time they put their efforts into something worthwhile for their communities – especially given the current issues being faced such as social isolation, food poverty, mental health, and hate crimes.

“The only thing this ban will achieve is stopping those who enjoy his satire from a night out behind closed doors and reducing much needed funding for the charities Royston Vasey supports through his act.”

Council Leader Terry Fox previously said the council, which is the main funder of Sheffield City Trust, “wholeheartedly” supported the ban.

But Liberal Democrat Leader Shaffaq Mohammed said the decision “smacks of the nanny state” and was a slippery slope.