Joe Lycett: PSNI received complaint after joke at Belfast show

Lycett said the joke - which he considers one of his best - would remain in his routine

A police complaint about a joke by comedian Joe Lycett was made in Belfast, it has emerged.

The stand-up wrote in an Instagram post that a complaint was filed about a segment from one of his shows that referenced a donkey, but did not identify where it was made.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed it received a complaint after a show in Belfast on 8 June.

Lycett performed at Belfast's Waterfront Hall on 8 and 10 June.

The PSNI statement, first reported by journalist Amanda Ferguson, added that enquiries were made and no offences found.

Lycett wrote in his original Instagram post: "To be fair to them the fuzz were very nice about it all but felt they had a duty to investigate."

'Tour continues unless I'm jailed'

The 33-year-old comic, who is from Birmingham, said he was asked to explain the context of the joke to the police.

He said the joke, which he considered "one of the best I've ever written", would remain in his routine and that he hoped the police were "charmed and hopefully amused" by his response.

"The tour continues until September, unless I am jailed," he wrote.

He shared an image of the police statement telling him the matter was considered closed.

Lycett has appeared in comedy shows including Taskmaster, 8 Out of 10 Cats and QI, and became known for his stand-up routines in which he would recall humorous email exchanges when handling issues such as parking fines and scammers.

He went on to host a Channel 4 consumer rights show and also has performed a number of public stunts in recent years, including storming off the set of Steph's Packed Lunch in 2021 and changing his name to Hugo Boss in 2020.