Simon Brodkin is blasted by viewers for ‘sick and insensitive’ Covid joke at the Royal Variety Performance: ‘People lost loved ones during the pandemic!’ Simon Brodkin has been blasted by furious viewers after making a ‘sick and insensitive’ Covid joke at the Royal Variety Performance. The comedian has previously been known for attention-grabbing stunts, including throwing money at FIFA President Sepp Blatter during a press conference and handing Theresa May a P45. Opening his set at the prestigious event, Simon quipped that he ‘broke into a lab in Wuhan in 2019’ in reference to the supposed origins of the deadly coronavirus. He told the audience: ‘I am the guy that did all the stunts and people always want to kow if my stunts ever go wrong. Occasionally, late 2019 I broke into this laboratory in Wuhan. Sorry.’ While Simon’s joke earned plenty of laughter from the audience, many viewers watching at home took offence, and slammed the jibe. Simon Brodkin has been blasted by furious viewers after making a ‘sick and insensitive’ Covid joke at the Royal Variety Performance One posted: ‘HOW dare you make a DISGUSTING joke about the pandemic? I will be making a complete Ofcom about this you should be ashamed of yourself.’ ‘The Wuhan joke was very poor taste. Many lost loved ones, or remain poorly – not funny,’ a second added. A third posted: ‘Sorry, but jokes about Covid are in poor taste, we lost a family member to it. I’m a nurse and worked through it too, terrible times.’ ‘Very distasteful and insensitive joke about the Wuhan Labs. Many people lost their lives to Covid!’ one user posted. One shared: ‘Was Simon Brodkin making a joke about Covid?? The joke about him breaking to a laboratory if so that’s not funny that’s sick!!’ Covid spread worldwide in 2020, and has lead to at least 232,000 in the UK alone. Simon’s escapades have landed Britain’s Greatest Prankster in custody, in court and on the receiving end of disturbing death threats, after he handed Theresa May her P45, hijacked Kanye West’s Glastonbury appearance, breached Donald Trump ‘s security, made a holy fool of Simon Cowell and showered former Fifa president Sepp Blatter with banknotes. He previously told Event Magazine: ‘They’re deserving targets. Opening his set at the prestigious event, Simon quipped that he ‘broke into a lab in Wuhan in 2019’ in reference to the supposed origins of the deadly coronavirus While Simon’s joke earned plenty of laughter from the audience, many viewers watching at home took offence, and slammed the jibe ‘It’s a sad day when you’re feeling sorry for these seriously powerful people being made to look a little silly. If they get upset, that’s their problem.’ but Brodkin remains resolute in his mission ‘to make people laugh while unnerving a few so-called untouchables. Getting a chuckle is the reason I do it’. Elsewhere host Bradley Walsh opened the Royal Variety Performance show with an awkward joke about being snubbed for an MBE and OBE at the star-studded show. The show’s host Mr Walsh opened the event with a few jokes, one of which was about him not being included on the King’s honours list. Addressing Prince William, he said: ‘I have worked for your greatnan, your nan, your granddad, your dad, and now I’m working for your Sir and Madam. ‘And I must say – ask me if I’ve got an MBE. Nah, ain’t got one. Ask me if I’ve got an OBE – nah, ain’t got one of them. Ask me if I’ve got a CBE – no!’ He went on to say ‘they’ve probably run out’ of those honours because ‘they give them all to people who row boats’ and ‘people on telly who bake cakes’. Bradley said he ‘entertained troops in the Falklands’ and was ‘happy to make it out alive’ while others got commended for their ‘victoria sponge’ cakes. READ MORE: Royal Variety Performance viewers slam host Bradley Walsh for ‘painfully unfunny’ stand-up routine as he kicks off ITV show with awkward joke about Prince and Princess of Wales He also told an anecdote of meeting his two-year-old grandson, who he ‘promised’ that he would ask Prince William for knighthood so the little boy could use the his grandfather’s title during ‘show-and-tell’ in nursery. Earlier Mr Walsh had greeted the ‘royal highnesses’, with the camera switching to William and Kate as they laughed away. He pretended to stumble over the word ‘highnesses’ several times. ‘It doesn’t sound right, your royal highnessesses? There’s too many ‘ssessess’, innit? Your royal highness… your royal highnessesses?,’ he said. ‘It should be like cactus, cactussess, cacti. Your royal highness, highnessess and highni. That’s it. I’ve got it. Your royal highni.’ Meanwhile Kate and William were seen laughing at the awkward joke. People on X, formerly known as Twitter, branded his opening sketch ‘cringe-worthy’ and ‘boring’. One user said: ‘Bradley Walsh completely embarrassing at the beginning not funny at all begging to be given a cbe obe etc.’ Another added: ‘Bradley Walsh’s just not funny! Cringe-worthy start to show. Think he’s just gone to back of the list #RoyalVariety.’ This notion was echoed by another user who commented: ‘Agreed, normally love Bradley Walsh, but begging for gong is embarrassing.’ ‘Bradley Walsh. Stand-up comedy isn’t for you,’ a third urged. One user also wrote: ‘What a bore Bradley Walsh is.’
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