Katie Hopkins ready to “Live, Laugh, Love” twice in Lincolnshire next year

Controversial commentator Katie Hopkins defended her upcoming stand-up comedy show called ‘Live, Laugh, Love‘ at two Lincolnshire theatres next May, which sparked a debate on freedom of speech.

The right-wing commentator, known for her appearances on The Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother, already had backlash to her May 2023 Stamford Corn Exchange gig, which was the subject of a petition calling for her to not be welcomed into the town.

The reason for this petition is due to the offensive nature of some past remarks made by Hopkins on national and global issues. Her critics consider her rhetoric to be a form of hate speech, and she was permanently banned from Twitter in 2020 for breaching this policy.

Her show next year will be a stand-up comedy performance called Live, Laugh, Love, where Katie promises to tell anecdotes of her well-documented media career, reflect on past controversies and share her experience with brain surgery to cure her epilepsy.

During an interview with a BBC journalist this week, which Katie Hopkins uploaded to her YouTube channel on Wednesday, the commentator said: “My stand-up show is about bringing people together, helping them realise they’re not alone and giving them a reason to laugh – and if there’s one thing I think people need right now, it’s a bit of laughter and to feel better.

“That’s why the show is called Live, Laugh, Love, because it’s about living as free as you can be, laughing as hard as you can and loving the bits of your life that you can love.”

The 47-year-old continues: “The glorious thing about this stand-up, which I performed to 3,000 in Blackpool, the strongest selling show in the history of their theatre, is that people leave feeling better.

“It’s a lot of laughing at me, a lot of laughing at my many and spectacular failings in life, and also a chance to talk about overcoming difficulties, and I’ve had a lot of them.

“It’s actually a really lovely show and I can’t wait to bring it to Stamford and Purfleet and Skegness and every other venue.”

As mentioned by Hopkins herself, Stamford will not be the only Lincolnshire venue to host her Live, Laugh, Love tour. She will be performing at the Embassy Theatre in Skegness on May 18, 2023 – with her website stating that ticket links are coming soon.

Katie Hopkins is no stranger to Skegness, having recently visited the seaside town for a YouTube video about recent local opposition to migrants being housed in local hotels while asylum applications are processed.

Discussing the backlash she has seen since her shows were announced, mainly in the form of petitions calling for her events to be cancelled, Hopkins called it a “really weird” reaction and confirms she won’t be put off by the criticism, as she walks “totally without fear”.

“There’s a group of people who try and stop other people coming to things,” she says. “I totally get why people wouldn’t want to go to a stand-up comedy show, but why would you feel the need to try and stop others coming to a stand-up comedy show?

“Anything like the petition is just a misquote and is defamatory by nature. I think one of the things people know me for these last couple years is just helping people through.

“I walk totally without fear, there is nothing anyone could take from me that would worry me, including ending my life, I’ve already passed my sell-by date!”

The Stamford Corn Exchange on Broad Street. | Photo: Google Street View

“What’s so glorious is the huge support I receive every single day just to keep going. If you imagine some small hurdles and trifling councillors would trouble me? No, because I’m perpetually lifted up by the overwhelming support I recieve.

“There is a thirst out there for a truth speaker who just wants people to live their life as free as they can be and be as happy as can be.

“I don’t really look at shows that have been pulled, I think it’s unfortunate, I think if you ask local residents what their top three concerns are, Katie Hopkins coming to do a stand up show isn’t one of them.”

Stamford Corn Exchange defended its decision to book Katie Hopkins for the show at its venue next year, saying “were we to refuse to book a performance on the grounds that someone, somewhere might find the contents of that performance objectionable then we would likely have to consider closing the doors for good.”

Skegness Embassy Theatre has been contacted for comment.

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