Frankie Boyle Slammed Over Down's Jokes

Comedian Frankie Boyle has been rebuked by the mother of a Down's syndrome child as he tore into the disability on the latest leg of his tour



Sharon Smith, whose five-year-old daughter Tanzie has Down's, became upset as the comic made joke after joke lampooning the disorder.

Mock The Week star Boyle picked fun at Down's syndrome haircuts, labelled those with the disability "Mongoloids" and said they were destined for an early death.

He then spotted Mrs Smith squirming in the front row at Reading's Hexagon Theatre and told her off for talking during his set

Smith, 37, replied that she had personal experience of the disability and was upset.

Recounting the incident on her personal blog, she said: "He tried to laugh it off: 'Ahh, but it's all true isn't it? Everything I have said is true, isn't it?' to which I replied 'No, it wasn't'.

"He then went on to say that it was the most excrutiating moment of his career but then tried to claw the humour back by saying we had paid to come and see him and what should we expect.

"To which I replied that I understood that and that it was my personal problem. He then said it was the last tour ever and that he didnt give a f*ck."

She added: "I wanted the ground to swallow me up. I have never felt so small, so stupid, so emotional and so pathetic.

"I expected dry, nasty, crude humour, yes, but unimaginative humour poking fun at the stereotype of people with Down's syndrome was not something that I expected."

Mrs Smith, from Hook, near Basingstoke, earned messages of support after she made her feelings public.

Boyle's caustic humour has earned him national acclaim but regularly sparked controversy.

He recently quit BBC2's Mock The Week amid complaints of censorship and headed out on a national tour.

In November, Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington complained to the Beeb after the Scottish comic joked she resembled "someone who's looking at themselves in the back of a spoon".

Don't get me wrong I don't think he should change his style; He is funny and everybody should be fair game but I do think that sometimes he tries too hard to be offensive and the humour is lost.

I'm in the camp that if you buys yer ticket you know full well what to expect...

Agreed Gaz, not like people don't know what to expect from this guy, he is out to shock you with his humor and thats exactly what he does. It's like going to a chubby brown concert and being shocked and offended at the fact he swears.

Agreed, we all know what Frankie Boyle is about, why on earth would you go to be appalled at it?

It's not just picking on one thing, everyone and every thing is in the firing line, comedians are there to take with a pinch of salt!