Comedian Lee Hurst has been fined for smashing a mobile phone belonging to an audience member during a stand-up gig.
Lee Hurst fined
Fair enough!
Shame no one else filmed it. That would have been good on YouTube!
Funny that - I thought Lee Hurst wasn't on telly anymore because he has Ankylosing Spondylitis, a disease that slowly curves your spine forward until you're permanently staring at your nipples. He looks okay in that clip so I'm glad his disease appears to have not taken its toll yet. Hopefully he'll have years of good health still, and get back on our tellies soon. He's a good comic.
But - smashing someone's mobile phone for "theft of a performer's material" at a gig in some shitty pub function room? It's hardly Wembley is it? And hold on - "theft of a performer's material?" In what way, exactly? In the way that you're recording the act? Well you do that in your brain by remembering the night. Is your memory of a good comic copyright theft? Or does he mean that the person involved could upload his stuff to YouTube? And is that such a bad thing anyway these days?
I dunno - I wasn't there of course, but I reckon what probably happened was Hurst grabbed the mobile, and comedically having nowhere to go, smashed it for a reaction. I've seen it happen before.
I remember Hurst talking about his illness back in the summer of 1996, in the Radio Times, just before the Atlanta Olympics started. He gave the impression that he only had a few years of normal posture left in him.
He ruined his chance of a TV comeback by smashing that phone. As you may remember, he was appearing in The What In The World? Quiz (a poor man's QI) when this incident occured. Channel Five yanked the programme off air and have still yet to show the remaining episodes.
He owns a big comedy club, in East London, doesn't he?
Quote: Mark @ February 17 2009, 1:27 PM GMTHe ruined his chance of a TV comeback by smashing that phone. As you may remember, he was appearing in The What In The World? Quiz (a poor man's QI) when this incident occured. Channel Five yanked the programme off air and have still yet to show the remaining episodes.
There's no such thing as bad publicity*, it might get him on quite a few shows, both comedy and serious. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets to be a regular on The Wright Stuff off the back of this.
(*Apart from for Chris Langham, Jonathon King and Gary Glitter).
And Jade Goody to a certain degree.
Quote: Lee Henman @ February 16 2009, 11:59 PM GMTFunny that - I thought Lee Hurst wasn't on telly anymore because he has Ankylosing Spondylitis
I thought he wasn't on telly anymore because he's annoying and unfunny.
Although that's only from The What In The World? Quiz.
https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_what_in_the_world/
Quote: catskillz @ February 17 2009, 7:14 PM GMTHe owns a big comedy club, in East London, doesn't he?
I think he is now the main compere, but no longer owns it.
Turns out Hurst isn't even slightly sorry for what he did. More4 News Video (which also features scenes from the Collings&Herrin podcast we publish)
Hurst = cock
Herring = not a cock.
The size of your ego clearly has a very direct correlation with how pissed off you get at the thought of one of your precious jokes being stolen.
(Although I understand some of Hurst's points in principle.)
(And no one should smash someone else's phone! Naughty comedians.)
Interesting report. I can also only conclude that Hurst is a bit of a cock.
I always thought he had been diagnosed with cancer in the 1990s?
I find him very naturally funny. Very surprised he hasn't done much TV work since TTIAO.
I do know why he might not be asked to do TV work these days though. He is quite anti-establishment and doesn't pander to the lefty comedian luvvies so stands no chance on things like panel shows and prime time stand-up schedules for things like Live at the Apollo.
Has anyone seen Paul Sinha's show this year? He had some choice things to say about Hurst and it was enough to change my perception of Hurst for the worse