Television personality Rylan Clark has made a joke about being 'cancelled' for a second time this year, following an on-stage slip-up during a pantomime performance in Essex.
From Ofcom Fury to Pantomime Gaffe
The incident occurred just months after the former X Factor contestant sparked a major controversy and over 700 Ofcom complaints for comments he made about immigration during a live broadcast of ITV's This Morning in August 2025.
According to reports, the 37-year-old accidentally swore in front of a sold-out audience at the Southend Cliffs Pavilion, where he is starring as the Fairy Godfather in Cinderella. The crowd included many children. Quickly correcting himself, Clark quipped that he would now be "cancelled for the second time in a year."
The Comments That Sparked a Backlash
Clark's jest directly referenced the intense backlash he faced earlier in the year. While co-hosting This Morning, he expressed strong views on illegal Channel crossings, creating a clear division between legal and illegal immigration.
He began by praising the contributions of legal migrants, stating: "This country is built on immigration. Legal immigration — a lot of the nurses, the doctors that have saved my mum’s life have come over here from other countries."
However, he then questioned the system for those arriving via small boats, suggesting they received preferential treatment. "How can it be that if I turn up at Heathrow Airport as a British citizen and I’ve left my passport in Spain, I’ve got to stand at that airport and won’t be let in. But if I arrive on a boat from Calais, I get taken to a four-star hotel?" he asked.
Public Reaction and Aftermath
The remarks ignited a furious debate online and led to a significant number of viewers lodging formal complaints with the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom. In response to the outcry, Clark posted a follow-up statement on his Instagram Stories, attempting to clarify his position.
"You can be pro immigration and against illegal routes," he wrote. "Stop with this putting everyone in a box and maybe have conversations instead of shouting on Twitter."
Despite this, the complaints persisted. An Ofcom spokesperson confirmed to The Independent at the time that they were "assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules," though a decision on whether to launch a formal investigation was pending.
Clark's latest light-hearted remark on stage in Southend suggests he is choosing to address the continuing controversy with humour, even as the debate around his initial comments continues.
