Leigh Francis has revealed why audiences are meant to find his TV persona Keith Lemon funny.
The comedian’s controversial animal print-wearing character was born on Francis’ Channel 4 series Bo’ Selecta, which ran from 2002 to 2009.
Singer Craig David previously accused the programme of “normalising bullying” due to Lemon’s impersonations of him.
Lemon later appeared on the celebrity panel show Celebrity Juice alongside Ferne Cotton and Holly Willoughby, where he routinely made comments about both women’s appearances.
When the programme was cancelled after 26 seasons in 2022, the character once again resurfaced in the mockumentary The Holden Girls: Mandy and Myrtle co-starring Amanda Holden as herself.
Speaking to Richard and Izzy Hammond on their Who We are Now podcast, Francis revealed he “doesn’t’ regret anything” despite the controversies his characters have caused.
The comedian claimed his Keith Lemon character was intended to be provocative and explained the crude personality was meant to be “laughed at and not laughed with”.
He explained: “Even with people that might have been offended by Keith Lemon, saying he’s misogynistic or something. No, you supposed to be.
“You’re not laughing with him; you’re laughing at him. He’s a fool!” he continued. “He would say things that there’s no way on Earth I would say.
“But I know people who say such things, and I laugh at them for saying it… You can laugh at people that say horrendous things, I think.”
Despite claiming Lemon is intended to be a controversial character, Francis admitted the criticism he has faced throughout his career has been difficult to stomach.
“It hurts, doesn’t it? I think anyone saying, ‘Oh, you’re a bad man’ or whatever, you just go, ‘I’m not,’ because I’m too daft,” he said.
“I don’t want to p*** people off, you want to make them laugh. And I think everyone, most comedians, just want to make people laugh.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the TV personality claimed that the “rules” of comedy have changed, and he now has to be more mindful when writing material that “some people might be upset by things”.
Leigh claimed he has never intended to upset anybody who was the focus of his material, adding: “I don’t apologise for Bo’ Selecta, but I apologise for upsetting people that were offended by it.”
The comedian reminded listeners: “I’m a court jester, which is the lowest of the low. ‘Sing and dance, make me laugh.’
“You shouldn’t take what I’m saying seriously,” he added. “Because first of all, my name is not Keith Lemon. I’m acting!”
Speaking about how Francis’ impersonation of him on Bo Selecta! changed his life in 2022, Craig David said: “It felt like a vendetta and when it got a following, it became something that affected me.
“People would shout at me on the street and I felt the same feeling I had when I was bullied at school,” added. “Leigh Francis had normalised bullying by making it comedy.”
