TL;DR
- Malcolm Offord made an offensive joke about George Michael.
- The joke referenced Michael’s grieving boyfriend.
- Offord apologized and donated to an LGBTQ+ charity.
- Eyewitness described the speech as bizarre and uncomfortable.
- Offord claims he is not homophobic.
In a classic case of “Did he really just say that?”, Reform UK’s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord found himself in hot water after making a joke about the late gay icon George Michael that was so offensive it left the room in shock. The incident, which took place at a Burns Night event back in 2018, has resurfaced, and it’s as cringe-worthy as it sounds.
Eyewitness Ian Lewer, who was present with his wife, recounted the moment that Offord, who was the chairman of the London Scottish rugby club at the time, decided to mix George Michael’s hits with some questionable dance moves and an even more questionable sense of humor. “The speech itself was a bizarre attempt to link the songs of the late George Michael to the works of Robert Burns, interspersed with clips of some of his famous hits accompanied by Offord’s questionable dancing,” Lewer shared with the Daily Record.
But it was the joke that really took the cake. Lewer described it as being at the expense of Michael’s grieving boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz, which left not just the audience but specifically the gay man sitting next to Lewer feeling extremely uncomfortable. “I’m not a prude, I’m up for banter. But there is banter and taking things to that level. I don’t know who in their right mind would say something like that,” he lamented. And honestly, who could blame him?
After the backlash, Offord took to the media to express his regret over the incident. “I instantly regretted it and recognised that it was totally inappropriate and took responsibility for what I had said,” he stated. “This was a clumsy mistake that I immediately acknowledged and acted upon. I am not homophobic. I am someone who accepts accountability, owns my actions, and makes amends where needed. That is who I am.” Well, at least he’s owning it, right?
In a bid to make amends, Offord donated to an LGBTQ+ charity, proving that sometimes, when your humor goes awry, the best way to recover is to give back. But let’s be real, it’s going to take more than a donation to erase the memory of that awkward moment. This whole debacle serves as a reminder that humor can be a tricky business, especially when it involves sensitive topics. Here’s hoping Offord learns from this experience and keeps his jokes on the right side of tasteful in the future.