29 May 2025, 09:19
‘Disgraceful’ comedian with ‘brand of cruelty’ barred from more venues after vile joke about Liverpool parade crash
‘Disgraceful’ comedian with ‘brand of cruelty’ barred from more venues after vile joke about Liverpool parade crash. Picture: Alamy/@AndrewLarwenceComedy - Instagram
By Josef Al Shemary
A comedian who had a gig cancelled after he made a ‘horrific’ joke about the Liverpool FC parade crash has been barred from multiple venues across the country.
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Dozens of people were injured in a car ramming in the city centre on Monday evening as fans celebrated Liverpool FC’s Premier League victory.
Comedian Andrew Lawrence, who was once a guest on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, posted a joke about the incident on X less than 24 hours after the horrific incident.
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He wrote: “To be fair, if I was in Liverpool, I'd drive through crowds of people to get the f**k out of there as well.”
Thousands of people reacted to the post furiously, with multiple commenters tagging the X account for Merseyside Police.
One person commented: “I'd say that's your career pretty much over,” while another added “Nasty. Not funny at all.”
Caddies Comedy Club, in Southend, cancelled the comedian’s upcoming gig at their venue in response to the comment.
“The event organisers who had hired our Comedy Club for the Andrew Lawrence night, have cancelled the event,” they said in a post on the social media platform.
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“We do not condone or support the comment that has been made online, and we send everyone impacted by the tragic events in Liverpool our support and prayers,” the post continued.
Lawrence posted a screenshot of the comedy club’s post, saying they ‘lost courage’.
“This venue lost their courage after being bombarded with abuse and threats of violence from online trolls. Understandable, but disappointing,” he wrote.
The comedian said he would reschedule at a different venue in Southend instead, and apologised for the inconvenience.
But this might prove harder than he initially thought, as more venues have now barred him from their venues in response to the joke.
The Hot Water Comedy Club, which is Liverpool's most popular venue and is well-respected among comedians, said: "That's not comedy. It's cruelty, plain and simple."
In a post on Instagram, the club wrote: "We believe in the power of comedy to challenge, uplift and connect - not to target people in moments of real pain."
The club added that Lawrence will no longer be appearing at its venues as "his brand of cruelty has no place in the kind of comedy we stand for".
"If you're standing by him, you're standing against everything this industry should represent," the Hot Water Comedy Club added, warning other comedians and clubs to "think carefully" before supporting Lawrence.
Police and emergency personnel deal with an incident near the Liver Building during the Premier League winners parade in Liverpool, England, Monday, May 26, 2025.
Police and emergency personnel deal with an incident near the Liver Building during the Premier League winners parade in Liverpool, England, Monday, May 26, 2025. Picture: Alamy
Seven people remain in hospital in a stable condition following the parade horror as up to 1 million fans lined the streets to celebrate the win.
Four children were among those hurt, and a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area remains in custody over the incident.
The incident sent shockwaves through Liverpool and the rest of the country, as graphic videos showing the car plough through the jubilant crowd quickly spread online.
circulating online appeared to show people in the crowd following the Liverpool Football Club celebrations attempting to get close to the driver of the car, with one managing to open the driver's car door.
Videos then appeared to show the driver close the car door before suddenly speeding up and veering into pedestrians on both sides of the crowded street.
The clips posted on social media then showed people from the crowds attempt to chase the driver - with some kicking the vehicle and smashing the back window.
Officers quickly surrounded the car as witnesses attempted to stop the driver, who was eventually detained by police.
Police are now facing questions as to how the people carrier had access to the packed road in the city centre, which was supposed to have been blocked off for the parade.