British Comedians in Blackface

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Reece Shearsmith as ‘Papa Lazarou’ in ‘The League of Gentlemen’ (1997-2017)

 ‘Shearsmith has always denied the character was supposed to be a black man’.

Bottom picture is from ‘The Black and White Minstrel Show’. Notice the similarities in the make-up and choice of headwear.

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Currently dead stand-up comedian and Eastenders star Mike Reid in ‘Celebrity Swaps’ (2004). It’s hard to find video of this one anywhere, but you can find Samantha Fox being made over as a middle-aged Indian woman in the same series.

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Charlotte Church as ‘Charlie Chapel’ in the variety comedy ‘The Charlotte Church Show’ (2006)

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How Not To Live Your Life (2009), Series 2 Episode 3. Actor David Armand as Bill Cosby.

YouTube link.

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YouTube link no longer active - seems this show had a couple of blackface scenes.

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Kevin Bishop as  ‘MC Fruit E’ (2008).

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Julian Barratt as  ‘Rudi van DiSarzio’ in The Mighty Boosh (2004)

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Rory Bremner (again) as ‘Ainsley Harriot’ - Bremner did this character a few times in the early 2000s.

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Rory Bremner as ‘Trevor McDonald’ (1992).

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Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer as ‘Otis Redding’ and ‘Marvin Gaye’.

They later performed the same characters without wearing make-up.

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Vic Reeves as ‘Barry White’ at some point in the 1990s.

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Leigh Francis as ‘Craig David’ in ‘Bo Selecta’ (2002 - 2004).

This picture came from Amazon, where you can buy it as mask.

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John Bird in a TV advert for Benson & Hedges cigarettes circa 1975.

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David Walliams, left, as ‘Desiree de Vere’ in ‘Little Britain’ (2003 - 2007).

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Matt Lucas in ‘Come Fly with Me’ broadcast in 2010

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Harry Enfield as Nelson Mandela in 2009.

Harry Enfield defending this in 2020: ‘Harry Enfield has come under fire for using the word ‘c**n’ in an interview defending blackface’

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Noel Fielding in 2017 for an ‘artwork’ called ‘Black Borg’.

Noel Fielding as the ‘Spirit of Jazz’ in The Mighty Boosh. The Spirit of Jazz is the ‘ghost of fictional musician Howlin’ Jimmy Jefferson’.

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Chris Morris as rapper ‘Fur Q’ in The Day Today, broadcast in 1994.