Barry Humphries felt ‘incredibly hurt’ and ‘unwelcome in Melbourne’ after ‘anti-trans’ backlash
David Walliams has revealed that Australian comedy icon Barry Humphries was left “incredibly hurt” by the backlash he received over his alleged anti-trans comments.
Barry, who died in 2023 from complications following hip surgery, was criticised by the Melbourne International Comedy Festival after making comments that were seen as “anti-trans”.
In 2018, Humphries compared sex reassignment surgery to ‘self-mutilation’
But if you are against the Herald Sun This week, 53-year-old British comedian Walliams defended Barry’s views, saying they are simply a product of his times.
“Why would you expect a man in his 80s to have the same opinions as people 50 years younger?” David asked.
The Little Britain star added that the idea that anyone should be ‘cancelled’ because of their views is ‘dangerous’.
“You should be able to have an opinion, and you shouldn’t be dismissed for your opinion,” he said.
According to Walliams, the aftermath left Humphries feeling unwelcome in the Victorian capital.
British comedian David Walliams has revealed that Australian comedian Barry Humphries was “incredibly hurt” by the backlash he received over his anti-transgender comments.
‘Not feeling welcome when you’ve been a world star for over 50 years and so much of your material is about Australia.’
“I knew Melbourne meant so much to him,” David added.
Barry, perhaps best known for his iconic role as Edna Everage, helped found the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1987 and at one point had an award named after him. In 2019, he fell out with organisers over “anti-trans” comments.
His name was removed from the ‘Barry Award’ for most outstanding show in 2019 following his statements a year earlier about transgender people, in which he said, among other things, that it was a “fashion trend” and that sex reassignment surgery was “self-mutilation.”
“He was incredibly hurt,” David told the Herald Sun. “But why would you expect a man in his 80s to have the same opinions as people 50 years younger than him? Why would you expect that?”
Comedian Hannah Gadsby, who won the Barry Award in 2017 for her show “Nanette,” and fellow comedian Zoë Coombs Marr, who won the Barry the year before, both advocated for the award to be renamed.
Gadsby tweeted that Humphries was an “irrelevant… scumbag” and that he “loves those in power, hates vulnerable minorities and has completely lost all ability to gauge the situation.”
Festival director Susan Provan said in 2019 that the comments were “shocking” and that she wanted the award to “celebrate the diversity of artists who participate in the festival”.
The Barry Award is now called The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award.
Barry, perhaps best known for his iconic role as Edna Everage, helped launch the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1987 and at one point had an award named after him before running afoul of organisers in 2019 over ‘anti-trans’ comments