Warning: Chubby is back after U-turn!

CHUBBY BROWN

CONTROVERSIAL comedian Roy Chubby Brown is to appear at Oldham’s Queen Elizabeth Hall after a council U-turn.

The outrageous funnyman — branded too rude for television — was banned from the hall in 2006 by Oldham’s previous chief executive.

He will appear there tomorrow night after agreement by political leaders and Chubby told the Oldham Chronicle: “I am delighted, I really am. I hope after this length of time we will have a fantastic evening and they invite me back again!

“What I try to do is talk about things that are humorous. At the moment the people who are getting the stick are people like Jordan.

“I try to be as adult as possible and that’s what it is — an adult show. We do not allow people in the room under the age of 16.”

Asked what people could expect, he added: “To laugh. I expect people to laugh from when I go on stage to when I come off and there are things I will say where people will think ‘that’s a bit near the knuckle’.”

Deputy council leader Jackie Stanton admitted it had been a tough call which would not please everybody.

She said Chubby, real name Royston Vasey, had performed at council-run venues around the country — including the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the past — and added: “This was a commercial decision that was approved by chief executive Charlie Parker along with the leaders of all three of the council’s political parties.

“This act is certainly not to my taste and I fully understand the concerns that many residents may have about vulgarity and crudeness. However, the joint view was taken that people buying tickets for this event would be fully aware of what to expect.”

Chubby’s manager and top concert promoter Stuart Littlewood from Saddleworth added: “We have looked after Chubby for five or six years and I can count on one hand the number of complaints we have had about him. Chubby is the crowned king of controversial comedy. Over the past 40 years he has made more than 1,000 appearances and performed in front of 1.5 million fans.

“He puts up the posters ‘if you are going to be offended, do not come’. In theory, there isn’t anyone in the hall who is offended.

But Mr Littlewood, whose company Handshake is based in Uppermill, is concerned about the way hall is run and added: “They built this wonderful building and leave it empty. It is very underused. The local authority is not very proactive in trying to get entertainment there.”