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Comedian Andrew Lawrence’s upcoming performance at Caddies in Southend was cancelled following a social media backlash over his insensitive joke about the Liverpool Premier League victory parade crash that injured 65 people on Monday.
Lawrence posted on X, stating he would “drive through crowds of people” to get out of Liverpool, a comment made just a day after a Ford Galaxy ploughed into supporters on Water Street, hospitalising over 50 people, including children.
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The Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance CIC, which provides mental health support to victims of the 1989 disaster, responded on X, calling Lawrence “an embarrassment to the profession.”
Actor Barry Sloane, a Liverpool native set to star in HBO’s House of Dragons, condemned Lawrence on X, describing him as “an absolute disgrace.”
Caddies, a Southend-on-Sea comedy club and mini-golf course, announced the cancellation, stating, “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.”
Lawrence responded on X, saying, “This venue lost their courage after being bombarded with abuse and threats of violence from online trolls. Understandable, but disappointing.”
He added, “I will reschedule for later in the year at a different venue in Southend, sorry for the inconvenience, have a great day.”
Lawrence’s X post prompted over 7,000 responses, with many users expressing anger, one describing the comment as “horrific.”
He also posted a video skit on Instagram about the Liverpool incident, which similarly sparked backlash from users.
The 37-year-old comedian, who displays a “cancelled bin” location tag on his X page with over 100,000 followers, claimed, “Everything being written about the Liverpool incident in the MSM reads as if it’s being directed by the Government and the security services. There is no free press in this country.”
This is not the first time Lawrence has faced cancellation; in 2021, his Hampshire gig was axed after racist comments about England’s black footballers, and he was criticised for a poor-taste joke about Marcus Rashford’s anti-poverty campaign.
His former agents, RBM Comedy, dropped him after his 2020 Euros comments about penalty takers following England’s shootout defeat.
A 53-year-old white British man from West Derby, Liverpool, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving, and driving while unfit through drugs.
Merseyside Police, who took the unusual step of revealing the suspect’s ethnicity before charges, continue to question the driver, who allegedly followed an ambulance through a police barrier before ramming into supporters.
Video footage showed the Ford Galaxy driving at speed through the crowd, flinging people across the bonnet for 200 yards before some were crushed under its wheels.
Liverpool FC icons Kenny Dalglish and Jurgen Klopp led tributes to the victims, with Dalglish stating, “Shocked, horrified and deeply saddened about what happened at the end of the parade. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and their families who have been impacted.”
Klopp, who flew in from Germany to support his former club, said, “My family and I are shocked and devastated. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those injured and affected. You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
Both Dalglish and Klopp referenced the club’s anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” noting its poignant relevance in the tragedy’s aftermath.
