Dapper Laughs comedian: I'm retiring controversial character

Comedian Daniel O'Reilly, whose second ITV2 series has been axed after he was accused of condoning rape and sexual harassment, says he is laying his Dapper Laughs "character" to rest.

After a video of a live performance in London appeared on the internet, 60,000 people signed a petition calling ITV to scrap the show. In the clip, O'Reilly said of a female audience member: "She's gagging for a rape."

The comic was due to start a 12-date live tour in February but has now announced it has been cancelled, the BBC reports. Earlier this week he appeared on the BBC's Newsnight programme and said he would no longer perform as Dapper Laughs.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

O'Reilly rose to prominence on the video sharing service Vine, where he made short clips giving ironic dating advice to men. He told presenter Emily Maitlis he had not expected the clips to be so popular and had got "a little bit carried away".

He admitted that the "character" was "not setting a good example" but said it had proved so popular he had carried on "pushing the boundaries". He claimed: "I'm taking the micky out of what men think."

The Guardian reports that, while the larger concerts on O'Reilly's upcoming tour have been cancelled, his agent says he is "still going ahead with the club shows". These include gigs at the Institute in Birmingham.