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Lycett is performing in Dublin in August. PA Images

Comedian Joe Lycett responds to PSNI after Belfast audience member complains about joke

The PSNI told him they had a “duty to investigate” after the complaint was made but that “no offences” were detected.

ENGLISH COMEDIAN JOE Lycett was contacted by the PSNI after an audience member at his Belfast show made a police complaint about one of his jokes. 

The PSNI has since said that “no offences were detected” after they investigated the matter after receiving the complaint. 

Lycett performed at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on 8 and 10 June and said today that the PSNI were “very nice about it all” after asking him to write a statement in response to the complaint.  

“So someone came to my tour show a few weeks back and was offended by one of the jokes. And their perfectly understandable response to this was… to call the fucking police,” Lycett said on social media today

To be fair to them the fuzz were very nice about it all but felt they had a duty to investigate. This involved me writing a statement explaining the context of the joke for them; I particularly enjoyed putting the words ‘giant donkey dick’ into a message to a police detective.

Lycett also included a screenshot of a response he received from the PSNI in which they said they had closed the matter. 

A statement from the force to media has also confirmed that they will not be pursuing the matter further. 

“Police received one complaint following a show in Belfast on June 8th. Enquiries were made and no offences were detected,” the PSNI said. 

Lycett has sought to benefit from the mini-controversy by saying that anyone who wants to hear the joke can buy tickets to his show, a number of which take place in Dublin

“You’ll be pleased to know that the joke – which I consider to be one of the best I’ve ever written – remains firmly and proudly in the show,” he said

“The tour continues until September, unless I am jailed.”

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