- Kate Smurthwaite shared examples of women in comedy warning one another about alleged inappropriate and concerning behaviour.
- Messages described comedians as ‘beyond rude’, ‘mainly audience free’, ‘creepy’ and ‘sooooo creepy’, while urging others to ‘avoid him if you can’.
- Smurthwaite said freelance work, late-night performances and alcohol can create particular safety risks in the comedy industry.
Kate Smurthwaite reveals how women in comedy warn each other
Comedian Kate Smurthwaite has shared messages from group chats used by women working in comedy to exchange warnings and help each other assess potential risks. She discussed the conversations on Newsnight on 11 November, following the conviction and sentencing of comedian turned Christian influencer Russell Brand for rape and sexual assault.
One message showed a comedian asking whether other women had experienced problems while gigging for a particular person. Within minutes, she was told that the individual was ‘beyond rude’ and ‘mainly audience free’. Other members of the group joined the discussion, describing the person as ‘creepy’ and advising the comedian to ‘avoid him if you can’.
Smurthwaite also shared messages from a woman considering whether to ‘back out’ of a performance because she was booked alongside a man she wanted to avoid. The comedian was weighing her desire to perform against concerns about provoking a significant confrontation, while also trying to protect her safety.
Group chats provide warnings about comedians
Another exchange described a comedian as ‘sooooo creepy’ and identified him as someone women should avoid. In a separate warning, a woman said a comedian was booking performances under a different name after she discovered, to her dismay, that she would appear on the same bill.
One woman said she had shared a car with the man and thought he was ‘awful’. She also said he continued to receive bookings even after women had warned promoters about him. The messages illustrated how performers use private networks to share information when they are unsure who they will be working with or whether organisers will act on concerns.
“These are the conversations that we’re having,” Smurthwaite told Newsnight of the efforts women make to protect and warn one another.
“I don’t think it’s unique to the comedy industry, I think that there are women in similar groups in banks, women in similar groups in call centres. I don’t think there’s a magic place where this doesn’t happen.”
Why comedy can carry particular risks
Smurthwaite said comedy has specific vulnerabilities because it is a freelance-heavy industry in which performers may find it difficult to reject work. She noted that there is often no straightforward way to establish who will be present on a bill, while gigs frequently take place late at night and may involve people who have been drinking.
“I do think comedy has its unique risks, it’s a freelance-heavy industry. When work is offered to you it’s very hard to say not. There’s no easy place to ascertain who you’re gonna be working with. “And it happens late at night and people are often drunk, so there’s those risk factors.”
She added that comedy is a business in which performers take to the stage to receive laughs and cheers, arguing there was ‘no denying this is the kind of industry that would attract a narcissist’. Although Smurthwaite acknowledged that every industry has its own problems, she said women in comedy faced ‘definite particular risks’.
Women’s group chats described as a safety measure
The discussion follows comments by Katherine Ryan to Louis Theroux, in which she described it as an ‘open secret’ that a TV star was a sexual predator. Ryan also spoke about group chats among women in comedy and said conversations about men to be cautious around were a regular part of those networks.
“This is what we talk about… female comics and probably actresses and women in my industry talk about all the time because that is the safest way for us to talk about it,” she had said.
Why This Matters
The messages show how women working in comedy rely on informal communication to make decisions about bookings, colleagues and personal safety. In a freelance industry where opportunities can be difficult to refuse and performers may have limited information about other people on a bill, group chats can provide a way to share warnings before a gig takes place. Smurthwaite’s comments also place the issue in a wider workplace context, saying similar private networks exist among women in other industries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kate Smurthwaite share on Newsnight?
Kate Smurthwaite shared examples of group-chat messages in which women working in comedy warned each other about comedians they considered rude, creepy or unsafe to work with.
Why did Smurthwaite say comedy has particular risks?
She pointed to the industry’s freelance structure, the difficulty of refusing work, uncertainty about who will appear on a bill, and the fact that gigs often happen late at night when people may be drinking.
What did Katherine Ryan say about women’s group chats?
Katherine Ryan said women in comedy, and likely actresses and other women in the industry, regularly discuss men they should be cautious about because she considered those conversations the safest way to share such information.
