Australian comedian says he received DEATH THREATS from furious Brits for joking about Prince Philip’s death just moments after he died
An Australian stand-up comedian has revealed he received death threats in the wake of a now-viral joke about Prince Philip’s death.
Lewis Spears learned of Prince Philip’s death in April last year at the exact moment he was ridiculing the late Duke of Edinburgh on stage, then continued to joke about the royal in front of his enthusiastic audience.
The 24-year-old funnyman said on SBS’s Insight it was mostly older British people doling out the violent threats.
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Playing with fire: Australian stand-up comedian Lewis Spears has revealed he received death threats in the wake of a now-viral joke about Prince Philip’s death in April last year
‘I’ve never had so many death threats from people that were so close to death themselves,’ the comic said in an interview set to air on Wednesday night.
However, he revealed he was genuinely happy with how the jokes were received by the Melbourne crowd in the room.
‘As you can see, on the night it totally demolished,’ he told host Kumi Taguchi.
‘It was profoundly positive but there was like a really, really loud minority that were incensed and very angry and upset.’
Angered: The 24-year-old claimed it was mostly older British people doling out the threats
‘It was one of the best sets I’ve ever done in my life. It’s something that I feel real privilege that I managed to capture on film and can never be replicated.’
Spears had just delivered a joke about the Duke of Edinburgh at a club in Melbourne on April 9 last year when someone in the crowd yelled out, ‘He died tonight!’
He was skewering the Royal Family when he said Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99, was ‘3,000 years old’.
Surreal: He learned of Prince Philip’s death at the exact moment he was ridiculing the late royal on stage in Melbourne last April
But literally seconds after mocking Price Philip’s old age and saying he ‘invented racism’, an audience member shouted that his death had just been announced, which prompted gasps from Spears and the crowd.
‘What!?’ he said in disbelief, before reading aloud the announcement from an audience member’s phone.
‘I have to say… it’s been overdue,’ he added, rather insensitively.
‘Are we sure he died today? I reckon he died 10 years ago and they wheel him out attached to strings at special events!’
Clearly still surprised by the turn of events, Spears tweeted hours later: ‘Prince Philip died DURING my show tonight. Clip coming soon.’
Stunned: ‘What!?’ the funnyman said in disbelief, before reading aloud the announcement from an audience member’s phone
Announcing the Duke of Edinburgh’s death last year, the Royal Family said in a statement: ‘It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
‘His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will made in due course.
‘The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.’
Rest in peace: Prince Philip died last April. The Royal Family had said in a statement, ‘It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh’. Pictured with Prince Harry in 2014
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