Charity condemns actions of audience members who booed comedian Nish Kumar and pelted him with bread

Katy Clifton3 December 2019

The charity behind the event at which comedian Nish Kumar was booed off stage and pelted with bread has said it does not endorse the actions of a "minority of audience members".

The comedian, who hosts the BBC satirical show The Mash Report, was performing for free at the Lord’s Taverners cricket lunch, which raises money for the youth cricket and disability sports charity.

His set was said to have started off well, but the crowd turned against him when he moved onto his Brexit material.

In video footage from the lunch shared online, he said: “I think it’s to my credit I’ve managed to make it 10 minutes here. You are the only audience in my entire 13-year history of performing that have actually thrown something at me.”

Kumar, who later said it was a bread roll which was thrown, added: “It is dangerous to perform for a group of people largely descended from people who colonised my ancestors.”

Later in the video, a member of the crowd can be heard shouting: “We don’t do politics.”

“Get registered, get voting”: Nish Kumar
Getty Images

Lord’s Taverners has now responded to the incident, saying that it does not endorse "the reaction of a minority of audience members at yesterday’s event".

The statement also said that the charity doesn't endorse the views of guest speakers at the event, which are their own.

The charity said: "Yesterday’s annual Lord’s Taverners Christmas Lunch was an opportunity to fundraise and to reflect on the outstanding achievements and impact our work has had on the lives of young people throughout the UK.

“This event alone raised a staggering £160,000, which will go towards helping to empower disadvantaged and disabled young people to fulfil their potential through sport and build foundations for a positive future.

“We are not, and never will be, a political organisation and we don’t endorse the views of the guest speakers at our events, which are their own.

“However, nor do we endorse the reaction of a minority of audience members at yesterday’s event.

“Nish Kumar’s attendance was arranged in good faith and he gave his time for free to support the charity and our work. He follows a long tradition of comedic special guests at the event.

“We are extremely proud that in the past year we have raised over £4m, with nearly 12,000 young people having participated in our cricket programmes all over the UK, and just over 31,000 items of sports kit having been recycled across 20 countries.

"We will continue to focus all our efforts on developing sporting chances for young people in 2020 and in many years to come."

The event, held at London’s Grosvenor House hotel, also featured Harry Redknapp in conversation with Match Of The Day’s Jacqui Oatley. Tickets cost upwards of £149.

BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James earlier condemned the treatment of Kumar, saying: “Because I’m seeing some inaccurate press reports, I'd just like to say the treatment of Nish Kumar by some members of the crowd at the Lords Taverners fundraising Christmas lunch yesterday was appalling.

“It’s a charity I was proud to be an ambassador of and the work they do with disadvantaged young people is extraordinary.

“But yesterday served as a timely reminder that disagreeing with someone doesn’t mean you have the right to abuse them verbally or physically. I was devastated for Nish (who gave his time for free).

“I was embarrassed to be there. On an afternoon that was supposed to be about kindness, there was a distinct lack of it in the room.”

Footage of the TV star shared on social media shows the crowd jeering as Kumar refuses to leave the stage.

Referring to former Commons speaker John Bercow, Kumar says: ‘I’m not going anywhere. Absolutely not.

"I’m full Bercowing it. Absolutely Bercow. I know you want me to do it but I’m not gonna leave. Absolutely not. Absolutely not."

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