Chubby Brown 'baffled' when he thought another Yorkshire gig had been cancelled

The 76-year-old stand-up, whose real name is Royston Vasey, announced his next gig at Whitby Pavilion in 2022 had been called off and he described the decision as “very disappointing”.

Scarborough Borough Council said there was “some initial confusion” but “the date has now been confirmed with his agent”.

Several of the comedian’s gigs, including one which was due to go ahead in Sheffield in January, have been called off in recent years after concerns were raised about his divisive and offensive jokes.

Protesters had called for the cancellation of his last performance at Whitby Pavilion, in October, but the council refused and said: “It is a personal choice whether someone wishes to pay to see him on stage”.

When he thought his upcoming performance in Whitby had been cancelled, the comedian said he was “baffled” by the decision and some of his fans took to social media to complain.

In a statement, he said: “Just like Sheffield, I’ve been performing annually for the last God knows how many years at the Whitby Pavilions.

"I’ve always had a great relationship with the management and staff and still have, the show we did on October 2 in 2021 was a fantastic night, it was sold out, was a brilliant atmosphere and ended with a standing ovation.

“So what exactly was wrong to prompt this new decision and not allow me to perform next year?

“If that’s not the kind of evening all shows are striving for and the type of show venues want to put on then I really do fear the worst for this business generally.”

He posted the statement on Facebook but it was later deleted.

A council spokeswoman said: “The team at Whitby Pavilion is currently working on its events calendar for next year and beyond.

“There was some initial confusion over the 2022 provisional booking for Mr Chubby Brown, but the date has now been confirmed with his agent.”