Joe Lycett has been praised after mocking the UK authorities’s strategy to immigration in the course of the Commonwealth video games opening ceremony in Birmingham.
The comic, wearing a frilly pink and white tracksuit, was a part of the presentation of the ceremony on Thursday.
Lycett, who hails from the host metropolis, declared himself as “Birmingham’s reply to Sporty Spice” as he launched athletes from Asia.
“I’m thrilled to be right here subsequent to all these pyrotechnics on this extremely flammable outfit,” he stated.
“I’m going to do one thing now that the British authorities doesn’t all the time do, and welcome some foreigners and welcome the area of Asia.”
He later included house secretary Priti Patel in a tweet saying it was “only a little bit of banter”.
The Conservative authorities has confronted fierce criticism for a collection of hardline immigration insurance policies, together with the Windrush scandal and most not too long ago its plan to ship migrants to Rwanda.
The primary deportation flight was grounded in June after a collection of authorized challenges, and one other try is but to be scheduled.
The coverage is a response to hundreds of individuals reaching the UK after navigating busy delivery lanes from France in small boats because the begin of this yr.
Among the many reward, one Twitter person stated Lycett ought to get a knighthood.
Fellow comic Sir Lenny Henry kicked off the 2022 video games and athlete’s parade within the metropolis.
A forged of different well-known faces together with Motsi Mabuse and US rock star Lenny Kravitz delivered digital messages of help to the opponents as they entered the Alexander Stadium on Thursday evening.
The opening ceremony closed with a bang and a brief setlist from Birmingham band Duran Duran.
