A stand-up comedian has claimed he was in the room when Sean Lock delivered a "pink minstrel" insult to David Walliams during a behind-the-scenes spat on the panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats.
The claim comes days after allegations against Walliams, 55, were made public, including accusations of sexual misconduct and potential criminal activity involving girls as young as 15.
Allegations and Legal Action
Walliams brought legal action against Independent Television News (ITN) and Guardian News and Media (GNM), publisher of The Guardian, ahead of the two organisations reporting the allegations. He denied and continues to deny the claims and unsuccessfully sought an injunction to prevent their publication.
The children's author was granted anonymity during the proceedings, which was lifted after his injunction bid was dismissed.
The 'Pink Minstrel' Incident
According to reports, Lock told Walliams "don't f**** touch me you pink minstrel" after Walliams had put a hand on his back to chat during a break in filming.
In a 2013 blog post, Northern Irish comedian Michael Legge, who had worked as a warm-up performer for the studio audience on 8 Out of 10 Cats, claimed he witnessed the moment first hand. He wrote: "How have we tolerated David Walliams? How have gay people tolerated David Walliams? All he has is 'LOOK! I'M PRETENDING TO BE GAY!' That's it. I mean, he also sometimes blacks up, Asians up and puts on a dress [an apparent reference to Little Britain sketches]."
He added: "I'm convinced that he thinks there is no one other than straight middle class men. Everyone else is fictional, so it's fine to laugh at them… I was lucky enough to be in the room when the brilliant Sean Lock called Walliams a pink minstrel. That's perfect."
Context and Fallout
The phrase is thought to reference Walliams' camp public persona, drawing a comparison to minstrel shows where performers wore blackface makeup to make insensitive caricatures despite not being black.
Two episodes of 8 Out of 10 Cats featuring Walliams as a guest have been removed from streaming, Channel 4 has confirmed. A clip from one episode showed Walliams joking about 13-year-old boys, telling host Jimmy Carr: "Have you heard Michael Jackson is dead? People have been talking about it because he's a controversial figure. I mean, if it's wrong to share your bed with 13-year-old boys, then lock me up and throw away the key."
