Davidson, 67, hit out at “small-minded left-wingers working for councils or theatre trusts” who “use their power to enforce their own prejudices and ban comics the public want to see”.
The former host of Saturday night BBC1 shows The Generation Game and Big Break continued, “Chubby Brown was booked for Sheffield City Hall next year until the Sheffield City Trust chief said his material ‘did not reflect its values’ – he means his values! But who is he to dictate who people can laugh at?”
Jim went on, “This has happened to Chubby, to me, and to Jimmy Jones. If one person doesn’t like your act they will ban you and claim your act will upset the woke.
“They are using cancel culture as a vendetta against acts they don’t like to score political points. It has happened before, with leftie councils, but it is far worse now.”
Earlier this year the Mayflower Theatre – owned by Southampton City Council – turned down a Benny Hill statue fund-raising concert starring Davidson and Bobby Davro after the Chief Executive expressed “concern” about the line-up and questioned the idea of raising a statue to local hero Benny.
Southeast London-born Jim said, “The luvvie left are inflicting their values on the public. But if people are willing to fill their theatres why are they turning them away? It’s an insult to the public, and to comedians.
“Benny Hill was loved the whole world over. I would show his series on my JDTV TV streaming service if we could afford them.”
Southampton-born Jimmy Jones, 83, said, “Why are they trying to tell us who we can laugh at? Funny is funny.
“Clueless TV executives started sacking people like Benny Hill years ago; the BBC even sacked Les Dawson, and look what it’s done. They’ve managed to kill off mainstream comedy on TV.
“It’s only when someone we love dies, like Eddie Large or John Challis, that we realise how much we’ve lost.”
More than 32,000 people have signed a petition calling on Sheffield City Hall to allow Middlesbrough-born comic Chubby Brown, 76, to appear at their 2,373-capacity Oval Hall next year.
In 2019 the Mayor of Middlesbrough Andy Preston revealed that there had been “an unwritten policy” of not allowing Chubby to play Middlesbrough Town Hall as he was considered “offensive”.
The policy was overturned, and Brown will play there next May. Said Jim, “All it takes to stop this is people power.”
