Comedian Lucy Beaumont, a familiar face on Celebrity Gogglebox and acclaimed for her roles in “To Hull and Back” and “Meet The Richardsons,” has spoken out about the harrowing experiences of sexual predators lurking within the comedy circuit. This explosive revelation comes just weeks before the emergence of brand-new allegations involving comedian Russell Brand.
Lucy Beaumont, 40, who is happily married to fellow comic Jon Richardson, recently disclosed the painful experiences she endured early in her career. She revealed, “Predatory male behaviour. I’ve had quite a few incidences where if you’re in any other workforce, you would go to HR, but there isn’t one. I think it’s just everywhere, and it’s not talked about enough.”
Beaumont claims there were up to 15 men involved in these appalling behaviours within the industry. She further emphasised the prevalence of this issue, stating, “It upsets me when I hear about young female comics having the same experiences. I thought for a while it was the same five or six people – and now it’s not – I could name you 10 or 15 because, of course, people talk.”
Beaumont Reveals Darker Side Of Comedy
This disclosure came during an episode of The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast in July. However, it has now garnered increased attention following the allegations surrounding Russell Brand. There is no suggestion of any connection between Beaumont and Brand, who has vehemently denied all allegations against him.
Beaumont depicted the comedy industry as a magnet for both passionate talents and potential predators. She lamented, “It attracts such interesting, passionate, raw, edgy, wounded people – but it also attracts predatory men who are really messed up and sexually have been repressed for years. And they get a bit of fame and display these behaviours.”
The comedian went on to assert that this problem is rife and often concealed. She called out agents and channels for turning a blind eye, stating, “It just gets covered up. Their agents know and the channels know, and nobody seems to be doing anything about it. There’s been times when I’ve just wanted to go on Twitter and just let people know everyone that we talk about, but not allowed to say.”
Lucy Beaumont’s version of events aligns with a wider trend within the comedy industry. Recent allegations have surfaced against several comedians. At least five more performers on the UK comedy circuit were named as alleged ‘predators’ following the allegations against Brand. These accusations have emerged from a ‘blacklist’ compiled by female comedians, shared on WhatsApp. These Conversations detail toxic behaviours such as stalking, violence, and predatory behaviour.
Problem Needs To Be Solved
Brand himself has been accused of rape and sexual assault in a Sunday Times and Channel 4 investigation. Former colleagues claimed they had acted as go-betweens to pass messages to attractive audience members. Despite denying these allegations, the BBC, Channel 4, and production firm Banijay have initiated investigations into his behaviour. Meanwhile, the Met Police is also investigating a complaint received over the weekend.
Lucy Beaumont concluded her podcast discussion with a heartfelt plea. She stated, “How long are we going to in private say ‘Did you hear about so and so that’s doing that again?’. We know who they are – they’re not that good anyway. I don’t want this to be a problem for anyone else. I want this stopping.”