Katie Hopkins: katie hopkins comedy show in Guernsey sparks concerns

katie hopkins is due to perform her Free Range comedy show at Beau Sejour on 13 May, a sold-out appearance that has prompted debate among island politicians about freedom of expression and the protection of vulnerable people. Deputy Jayne Ozanne raised the matter at a States Meeting, asking Education, Sport and Culture President Paul Montague whether the government had a "duty to balance freedom of expression and the concerns of vulnerable members" of the island.

States Meeting exchange

Ozanne’s question at the States Meeting centred on the upcoming Free Range show at Beau Sejour on 13 May, which is sold out. She told the assembly she did not think States-run venues should be used for events which would be offensive and "verging on hate speech" and that such events made vulnerable people who would be using the facilities feel unsafe. Ozanne described Katie Hopkins' previous speeches as "frankly racist, homophobic and transphobic" and said that while she was "all for free speech", people needed to be protected. She said: "I'm all for being offended, I think it's important to be pushed. But there is a line and it's that line that I'm calling out. "

Katie Hopkins booking defended

Paul Montague, as Education, Sport and Culture President and ESC president, said "it is not up to us to decide what people find entertaining" and that preventing bookings risks determining access by political opinion rather than rule of law. He said: "I do believe that the States does have the duty to strike a balance in matters related to freedom of expression" but argued it would be wrong for the Assembly to "descend into a culture war" on such matters. Montague said: "There was no invite for these entertainers to come over. I would ask that we consider this very carefully. It is entirely inappropriate for an Assembly such as ours to descend into a culture war issue on this. "

Duty of care and booking policy

Montague said the States did have a duty of care but did not see the show as a safety issue, adding: "We are talking about something badged as entertainment. It is not a political rally. " He pointed out that "Beau Sejour has a theatre, and people will be going to that theatre if they bought tickets for this particular piece of entertainment. I do not see how there is a safety issue here. " He warned that "it would be entirely wrong for every booking to be elevated into a political decision" and said: "We are asking officers to look again at the booking policy" and that "we need some robust and really carefully thought through principles to avoid any contentious issues in the future. "

Hopkins, public reaction and venue policy

Former LBC presenter Hopkins, who has often received criticism for her views and against whom some venues have previously pulled events, told audiences attendance at her show was "optional". She has been banned from Twitter — now X — in 2020 for violating the platform's hateful conduct policy, a ban that was overturned in 2023 after Elon Musk bought the social media firm. The controversy has included public calls for boycott; months earlier a reader letter urged islanders to boycott her performance.

Hopkins’s response and venue statement

Ms Hopkins hit back at the letter in a video posted to her social media, noting that "we cannot get one in Jersey". She praised a statement from the Head of Recreation Services responsible for managing Beau Séjour Leisure Centre, which said that "the Centre does not selectively choose which acts can and cannot hire its facilities" and that "it is for the public to vote with their feet by either booking, or not booking, tickets depending on their view on any one act". Hopkins called that approach "the holy grail" of her tours and said: "Let the public vote with their feet. That's all I have ever asked for. "

Organisers describe the Guernsey performance in its synopsis as: "Katie will bring her unapologetic humour back to the stage for a night of laugh-out-loud stand-up comedy where you will remember how it feels to belong. "

Posting on Facebook, external shortly after Montague's response, Ozanne said she was "very frustrated at the lack of understanding about the dangers of hate speech".

The debate over the sold-out Free Range show at Beau Sejour on 13 May highlights competing claims: Montague's defence of venue access and the need to review booking policy, and Ozanne's insistence on protecting vulnerable people while acknowledging the importance of free speech.