Fans back Michael McIntyre over Darlington walk-off

Drunk heckler told McIntyre: “It’s my show, not yours and if I want to speak to my niece, I will.”

Comedy fans have leapt to the defence of Michael McIntyre after he walked off stage in Darlington last night.

McIntyre was forced to stop a work-in-progress version of his Happy & Glorious show at the market town’s Civic Theatre after being persistently interrupted by a woman in the front row, who had not only been using her phone but heckling the comic and support act Paul Tonkinson throughout the night.

After being confronted by the comedian, witnesses say the woman interrupted her conversation to tell McIntyre: “It’s my show, not yours and if I want to speak to my niece, I will.”

Following the show, the majority of Giggle Beats readers on our Facebook page condemned the heckler and praised McIntyre for taking action.

Lynne Reynolds, who was at the show, said: “She was actually talking to her niece very loudly – we were in the dress circle and she was on the front row and we could hear her!

“When Michael asked her to stop she refused even though everyone had been asked to turn their phones off. I’m glad she was thrown out as it was very off-putting for Michael as well as the rest of us. It was the height of rudeness but I don’t think she was capable of realising after the 5 cans of larger she had apparently consumed. (Empty cans on the floor by her seat).

“For the record he only went off for a couple of mins and was actually very tolerant in my view. Whether you like him or not there’s no excuse for this sort of behaviour. Stay at home if you can’t stay sober!”

Malcolm York wrote: “I’m with Michael on this one, the woman should have been thrown out.”

Gary Setterfield said: “I’m with Michael… when I’m on stage, on the odd occasion it’s nearly always the table nearest the stage somehow always feels the need to talk loud when you’re doing your thing… really off putting… not walked off tho… just do my best to humiliate them which draws the applause of the rest of the audience…”

John Cal McCormick commented: “Who cares? If she was on her phone then she’s the one missing out. It’s not like she was doing the big phone thing from Trigger Happy TV and ruining it for everyone else. Proper overreaction.”

While Mark Alexander posted: “The person didn’t have the decency to leave to show and take their ‘oh so important’ phone call but instead disrupted the show for everyone else. They deserved to be thrown out. Nice one Michael.”

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