‘Move on!’ Leigh Francis tells Craig David to get over their 20-year Bo’ Selecta! feud

Leigh Francis has advised Craig David to “move on” from their Bo’ Selecta row.

The comedian, who uses the comedy name Keith Lemon, had famously impersonated the singer on Bo Selecta, which ran on Channel 4 from 2002 to 2009.

While Francis impersonated several stars on his hit show, it was his impersonation of the 7 Days singer that became the most popular character among viewers.

As David, Francis donned a rubber mask with exaggerated features and walked around with a colostomy bag.

Unimpressed: Francis does not undertand why David’s still hung up on Bo’ Selecta! 20 years on (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for War)

The character arguably superseded the real Craig David, who became somewhat of a joke figure as a result.

David recently opened up about how the show affected him, calling it “bullying” and “racist”.

“He was highlighting characteristics he felt would trigger us personally,” David told The Times, saying, “Every sketch felt personal.

“It felt like a vendetta and, when it got a following, it became something that affected me.

The singer, who previously blamed Francis for adversely affecting his career, performs during the BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace in June (PA)

“People would shout at me on the street and I felt the same feeling I had when I was bullied at school.

“Leigh Francis had normalised bullying by making it comedy,” he added.

Francis has finally hit back.

“Most people are happy with their portrayal on Bo’ Selecta!. Apart from someone we know who wasn’t,” he told The Sun on Tuesday (November 21).

Francis, holding an image of David’s Bo’ Selecta! character alongside TV presenter Craig Phillips in 2003, has apologised to Craig David for the portrayal of him (Getty Images)

“The only way it’s ever going to go away from him, if he feels people are going on about it, is to stop talking about it.

“It’s ages ago, isn’t it? It is, 20 years ago. I wish he wasn’t upset.”

In 2020, the Celebrity Juice star apologised to David for the portrayal, writing on social media: “Back in 2002 I did a show called Bo’ Selecta and portrayed many black people.

Craaaig Daaavid: A fan steps out in the controversial Craig David Bo’ Selecta! mask (PA)

“Back then, I didn’t think anything about it, people didn’t say anything.

“I’ve been talking to some people and I didn’t realise how offensive it was back then and I just want to apologise.

"I just want to say sorry for any upset I caused, whether I was Michael Jackson, Craig David, Trisha Goddard, all people that I’m a big fan of.

"I guess we’re all on a learning journey.”

However, in October, David said that he believed that Francis’s apology “seemed very coincidentally timed”, as it came during the uproar over the murder of George Floyd, and claimed the comedian hadn’t reached out to him personally.

“We can all apologise when on the back foot. Has he reached out to any of the people he did on his show? He hasn’t reached out to me,” he said.