Comic Dane Baptiste calls Australia ‘still the most racist English-speaking country I’ve been to’
British comedian Dane Baptiste calls Australia ‘the most racist English-speaking country I’ve been to’ and claimed he was followed by security in a bar for two and a half hours
British comedian Dane Baptiste says he was followed by security while watching the FA Cup at a bar in Australia, in an incident he called “vintage racism”.
The London-born stand-up has just returned from a 15-show Down Under tour, but told his 38,000 Instagram fans that he still found Australia “the most racist English-speaking country I’ve been to in my entire life.”
Baptiste, 38, claims he was followed for two and a half hours as he watched Manchester United take on Manchester City on June 3.
He shared a photo of himself in the unnamed bar with a security team member apparently in the background, writing: ‘Wouldn’t have been a trip to Australia without vintage 1980s racism.
‘This man followed me around the pub for 2 and 1/2 hours during the FA Cup final.’
British comedian Dane Baptiste claimed he was followed by security while watching the FA Cup final while on tour in Australia earlier this month
He also claimed that he had been accused of “stealing a toothbrush from a pharmacy” during the same trip.
Many responded to the post saying they had had similar experiences while traveling in Australia.
In response to one, Baptiste added that he had done a gig ‘in North Sydney and seen a woman holding her handbag while I was on stage! True story.’
Stand-up Baptiste was the first black British comedian to be nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014, and has appeared regularly on television comedy shows since Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week and 8 Out of 10, among others Cats Does Countdown.
In 2020, the British prankster received an apology from a TV production company that confused him with fellow TV star Richard Blackwood. Baptiste was given press photos of herself for the company to sign… only to open them up and find photos of Blackwood instead
In 2020, tThe television production company behind Made in Chelsea had to apologize to Baptiste after confusing him with actor Richard Blackwood and calling the mistake “deeply offensive” and “inexcusable.”
He explained how the TV production company had sent press photos for approval prior to a show, but received photos from Blackwood instead.
He shared the image and said, “This is the picture they sent ME of ME. I swear on my mother’s soul they sent it.’
The comic was scathing for the TV company’s mistake, saying, “I’m just thinking in a world of Google; where if your phone eavesdrops on you, you’ll get the right picture, there’s no excuse.”