Jimmy O: "I'm saying what people are thinking about the festival"

Police have been called in to investigate the comedian, real name Jimmy O’Neill, following official complaints about a 19-second video released earlier this week.

Following strong backlash from the council, the LGBT community and Wigan MP Lisa Nandy, O’Neill has insisted he is not homophobic and just wanted to “cross the line” for comedic effect.

“I have been ostracised by my own community,” he told the Post. “The video is me raising a point about finance. Some of the sites during gay pride are not appropriate for the town centre. I have even had gay people agree with me. Not everyone wants to go parading that they are gay. It’s just Wigan Council trying to be hip.”

In the video, O’Neill says that the council cannot afford to empty the bins but it can afford to spend “thousands” on Wigan Pride.

He continues to add that as a result, “the gays” should empty the bins to provide a solution to any lack of funding problems. “The LGBT+ community is too powerful,” he said. “I am a controversial comedian. We live in a police state where you can be reported for having an opinion.

“I am saying what people are thinking about the festival. It’s a big issue that we can’t get the bins emptied.

“It is the duty of a comedian to find out the line and to cross it. I don’t care what anyone says I’m very good at it. If I was rubbish I would have packed it in a long time ago.

“If people get offended then that’s life.”