Rylan Clark poked fun at the backlash over his controversial comments on illegal immigration while performing in his Christmas pantomime on Sunday night.
The TV presenter, 37, is currently starring as the Fairy Godfather in Cinderella at Southend Cliffs Pavilion, alongside Strictly Come Dancing star Ross King, who plays Buttons.
During an on-stage exchange that involved a tongue-twister, Rylan accidentally swore in front of the sold-out audience, which included many children.
Reacting to the slip, the former X Factor contestant joked that he might be ‘cancelled for the second time in a year,’ referencing the criticism he faced earlier in 2025 after sharing his views on illegal immigration while filling in on This Morning.
Rylan, who also sings and dances throughout the show, performs a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow as part of the production.
The Radio 2 host previously sparked 702 Ofcom complaints in August following comments he made about the illegal immigration crisis while co-hosting This Morning with Josie Gibson, standing in for Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard.
Rylan Clark poked fun at the backlash over his controversial comments on illegal immigration while performing in his Christmas pantomime on Sunday night
During an on-stage exchange that involved a tongue-twister, Rylan accidentally swore in front of the sold-out audience, which included many children
The former X Factor contestant joked he might be ‘cancelled for the second time in a year,’ referencing the criticism he faced after sharing his views on illegal immigration on live TV
Rylan sparked debate after discussing immigration while chatting with Camilla Tominey and Tim Campbell about current news headlines.
He acknowledged the positive impact of legal immigration, saying: ‘This country is built on immigration. Legal immigration – a lot of the nurses, the doctors that have saved my mum’s life have come over here from other countries. They’re living a great life, they’re paying into this tax system, they’re helping this country thrive.’
However, he expressed concern about people risking their lives to cross the Channel illegally, suggesting that the government’s approach appeared overly accommodating.
He continued: ‘How can it be that if I turn up at Heathrow Airport as a British citizen and I’ve left my passport in Spain, I’ve got to stand at that airport and won’t be let in. But if I arrive on a boat from Calais, I get taken to a four-star hotel?’
His comments provoked a strong online reaction, prompting Rylan to clarify on Instagram that one can be ‘pro-immigration and against illegal routes’ while supporting other social causes, urging people to engage in conversation rather than ‘shouting on Twitter.’
Despite the backlash, some commentators praised Rylan for his ‘honest’ assessment, saying he ‘summed up the mood of the nation.’
Rylan also received public backing from Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid, who defended him after Kevin Maguire criticised him for ‘regurgitating terrible myths.’
She said: ‘He pointed out that this country is built on immigration and he was grateful to all of the migrants who have come to the NHS for helping support his mum. He was actually concerned, though, that we’ve got a sort of welcome to the UK, and we don’t know who all of these people are.’
The TV presenter is currently starring as the Fairy Godfather in Cinderella at Southend Cliffs Pavilion, alongside Strictly Come Dancing star Ross King, who plays Buttons
Despite the backlash, some commentators praised Rylan for his ‘honest’ assessment, saying he ‘summed up the mood of the nation’
She added that Rylan’s comments were not anti-migration but reflected a concern about border control.
Since the controversy, Rylan has focused on his broadcasting career. He remains in contention to join the new Strictly Come Dancing presenting team and continues to host his Saturday afternoon show on Radio 2.
Meanwhile, Rylan is headlining his second consecutive Southend Cliffs Pavilion pantomime.
This year he stars as the Fairy Godfather in Cinderella, alongside Strictly star Ross as Buttons.
During Sunday night’s performance, Rylan accidentally swore in front of the audience but joked about being ‘cancelled for the second time in a year.’
He also performed a rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and paid tribute to Ross, saying he ‘loved’ him but ‘hated’ him for constantly changing the script.
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