STAND up comedy is no easy task – and dealing with unruly hecklers is a part-and-parcel challenge of putting on live shows. 

But sometimes that line between comedy comeback and genuine anger is crossed, leading to some serious onstage meltdowns and even security having to intervene. 

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They’re moments that leave the audience in stitches – or plunged into an awkward atmosphere that only a true pro would be able to salvage. 

Only this weekend, legend Peter Kay lost it at a couple of audience members who were interrupting the Manchester leg of his Better Later Than Never…Again! Tour. 

The Bolton-born legend was repeatedly interrupted by a heckler who kept shouting out his “garlic bread?” catchphrase.

But it soon got too much for Kay, who responded: “Garlic bread? Kick him in the f***ing face, will ya? Everyone around you is thinking, ‘pr**ck’”.

The comic then gets a light pointed at the disruptive fan, before saying “Give us a wave, k***head.”

“Look at him, he doesn’t know where he is,” he said, before leading a chant of “You’re going out.”

“He’s not laughing now is he?” he said, before a woman in the audience starts shouting prompting Kay to instruct security to boot her out too.

“Go on Lisa Riley, f*** off,” he shouted after her.

The surprisingly angry outburst left many in the audience uncomfortable – and both the people kicked out have criticised Kay, though the comic defended his actions.

So join us as we take a look at some of the other wild meltdowns comedians have had on stage…

Jimmy Carr

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Funnyman Jimmy Carr is known for leaving his audiences in stitches with his dark humour, edgy jokes and savage put-downs to hecklers.

But things turned serious back in 2021 when the 8 Out of 10 Cats star lost it at an audience member while on his Terribly Funny tour in Poole, Dorset.

According to a source at the show, a heckler made a bunch of loud remarks throughout, shouting out that Carr’s jokes weren’t funny and that he’d heard them before.

Carr had to be interrupted three or four times, getting him “visibly frustrated” according to the source, before he eventually snapped back at the audience member.

“You’ve got to f***ing go,” Carr can be heard saying in a recording of the incident. 

“If it’s any consolation, I’ll keep the money”, he added, before the apologising to the audience after the man was removed by security.

Stewart Lee

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Comedians are known for getting annoyed at audience members secretly filming their shows – not only due to copyright issues, but because of the risk their material might be posted online out of context.

And Stewart Lee is no exception – teaching one audience member a very unsanitary lesson after warning them to put their phone away during a performance in Oxford in 2022. 

He jiggled around with the phone shoved in his bum

Audience member

Though the fan insisted they weren’t recording, Lee leapt from the stage and stanched the device away, shouting, “I f***ing warned you.”

He then smashed it down on the stage before dropping his trousers and shoving it between his cheeks.

Another horrified audience member said: “He jiggled around with the phone shoved in his bum.”

Stewart ended the outburst by calling the fan an idiot and telling him that the phone was now in a jiffy bag with sanitiser.

Kevin Bridges

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Scottish comic Kevin Bridges lost his cool on stage back in 2015 after a fan kept pestering him for a selfie during a show in Glasgow.

Bridges initially agreed to a photo, but the audience member was sent back to his seat after asking to get up on the stage.

The man then told the comedian to “remember his roots,” prompting a fierce snap-back.

“Remember my roots? F*** off,” he said.

“Do you think this is my roots? Pictures and people asking for selfies, that’s all I hear every day: ‘Kev, can I get a picture, give us a picture Kev’.

“People are not here to see you. The deal is you buy a ticket for the show, you don’t buy me. What do you know about my roots?” he angrily continued, before later apologising to the rest of the audience for the outburst.

Pete Davidson

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US comic Pete Davidson launched into an expletive-filled rant back in 2019 after audience members at a Florida university wouldn’t stop going on their phones.

In footage of the outburst that since went viral on Youtube, the Saturday Night Live star tears into the students, calling them “privileged little assholes” and “embarrassing.”

You should f***ing grow up

Pete Davidson

“If you film everything and not enjoy the show for f***ing an hour, then, like, I don’t gotta be here,” he said, adding “I could just give them their money back because I don’t give a f***.”

Some of the audience then started to applaud, but Davidson wasn’t done.

“Don’t clap, that’s the problem…that’s why the world is gonna end in 25 years, because you’re all f***ing r*tarded.

“You should f***ing grow up,” he shouted amid boos from the crowd, before continuing with the set that was later condemned by the university.

Russel Howard

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Bristolian funnyman Russell Howard lost his cool during a small show in his hometown back in 2020 – and ended up cutting the set short.

After noticing a woman trying to secretly film him, he vented “that’s literally the worst thing you can do.”

He then told her to “live in the moment”, and asked her how she would like it if someone started filming her at her workplace and mimicking taking his phone out and aiming it at her.

“I was really looking forward to this gig,” he added, before giving his apologies to the stunned crowd, picking up his backpack and heading for the exit.

Alex Williamson

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Aussie comedian Alex “Shooter” Williamson is no stranger to getting into fights with his audience – and was almost glassed during a set in Adelaide in 2020.

Williamson stopped his show after he noticed a man “talking about his Jameson” instead of paying attention to the set. 

Get the f*** out, c***

Alex Williamson

“You were raised like a c***. I am glad [your parents] are f***ing dead so they didn’t have to see their son evolve into such a f***ing useless sack of sh*t,” he lashed out.

And when the man retaliated saying he hadn’t laughed once, Williamson, who calls himself “Australia’s loosest bloke,” walked over and repeatedly kicked his table while shouting “Get the f*** out, c***.”

After his drink was kicked over, the heckler tried to hit Williamson over the head with a chair before other audience members stepped in.

The man then lobbed three glasses at the comedian, though fortunately missed.

It followed a similar incident during a set in March that year, at a pub in Sydney.

Footage shows the comic knock a heckler’s hat off, before the audience member smashed his beer into Williamson’s head.

Williamson then stormed off, downed the beer, before chucking it onto the stage and downing another beer amid chants of “Shooter” from the crowd.

And in March 2021, Williamson got into yet another scrap when he threw beer over a man who had been repeatedly heckling him.

Despite holding out his mic as an olive branch, the man then punched Williamson in the head before being dragged off by security.

Arj Barker

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Flight of the Conchords star Arj Barker got caught up in a row that went international after kicking out a mother and a baby from a show in Melbourne last year.

The stand up asked mum Trish to leave after accusing her seven-month old of “disrupting” the show with a variety of noises. 

The incident sparked severe backlash, with the mum claiming she was reduced to tears.

She said: “He was like, ‘Oh no, it’s really disruptive, you’re interrupting my rhythm’…then he threw back to the crowd and was basically trying to get their support to say ‘Get out’.”

I’ve nothing against babies, in fact I was one once, for almost two years

Arj Barker

Barker has since made peace with the mum and apologised for the embarrassment caused, though stood by his decision pointing out that the show was advertised for over-15s only.

“I’m sorry that was a difficult situation and I would like to make peace”, he later said.

“To the beautiful baby who I have nothing against, I want to offer that little child a ticket to my show post-dated 2039.

“I’ve nothing against babies, in fact I was one once, for almost two years,” Barker also joked in a separate interview.  

Adam Kay

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Doctor-turned-comedian Adam Kay booted out an audience member during a show last year in Sydney – once again because they wouldn’t come off their phone.

The Brit was wrapping up the show with a moving anecdote about the importance of the NHS when he turned his anger on the disruptive fan sitting on the front row, who had been asked multiple times to put their phone away.

Seriously, don’t go to the theatre

Adam Kay

“Put. Your. F***ing. Phone. Away!” shouted the author of best-selling book This is Going To Hurt.

Kay then cut short his show, saying “You’ve been a wonderful audience – except for one person who’s really f***ed me off.”

“Seriously, don’t go to the theatre,” he added in a final jab against the audience member.

Bill Burr

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Bill Burr is one of the all-time greats of the American comedy circuit and is no stranger to handling difficult crowds.

Back in 2006, Burr faced a tough Philadelphia audience who had been jeering and heckling previous acts all night. 

But when they tried to boo Burr off the stage, instead of leaving, he launched into a 12-minute roast of just about everything the US city holds dear, from its food to its sporting icons – and he didn’t hold back.

“F***ing Rocky is your hero. The whole pride of your city is built around a f***ing guy who doesn’t exist,” Burr says at one point.

“Let’s talk about heart disease, something you’re all gonna f***ing die of. And I’m gonna laugh at you’re f***ing funerals which is gonna be great. 

“F*** the Liberty Bell, and shove it up Ben Franklin’s ass,” he added in an attack on one of the city’s most famous pieces of heritage. 

The performance was so legendary it had since been dubbed the “Philadelphia incident” – and ended up winning a standing ovation from the unruly crowd.