Comedian Rufus Hound apologises after making wild claims Theresa May orchestrated Manchester bombing to help Tories win the election
Fans initially thought the funnyman's tweets were a sick joke, but the Celebrity Juice star stoked anger even further by insisting he was SERIOUS
COMEDIAN Rufus Hound has apologised after making wild claims that Theresa May orchestrated the Manchester bombing to help the Tories win the election.
Fans initially thought his tweets were a sick joke, but the Celebrity Juice star stoked anger even further by insisting he was serious.
The fuse was lit when the supposed funnyman retweeted another person's comment: "Given that the attacker was known to MI5, the timing seems fortunate for May that an attack “slips through” as Labour are making progress…’
Conspiracy theorist Rufus, 38, then told his 1.2million followers: "Apologies for mild tin-hattedness, but I've been thinking the same Esp as she was Home Secretary for so long."
He even compared the Manchester atrocity to the 1933 Reichstag Fire in Germany, an arson attack suspected to have been staged by Nazis to increase Hitler's grip on power.
Fans angrily rounded on the star - a Labour supporter - for trying to make political capital from the deaths of 22 concert goers.
Emma Wilson-Morris tweeted: "Lay off the drugs please.
“You are clearly nuts."
Another said: "I feel sorry for you.
“You make too much money for doing too little.
“If you really think it find evidence, don't make unfounded allegations."
Pete Bancroft told him: "I'm a Labour supporter but the suggestion that this is a Tory ploy is deeply offensive."
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Instead of rowing back, dad-of-two Hound went into an even bigger rant, telling his audience: "Look I'm probably far too cynical.
"I struggle believing our establishment is incapable of great evil.
“Oh man this thing has gone mental.
“I can only apologise to people who think I meant that tweet lightly.
“I genuinely didn't.
"We're being governed by people who start wars and bomb innocents and whose austerity is killing our brothers and sisters.
"But I'm sorry, I really am.
“I guess the whole #hypernormalisation of bizarre and inhuman acts has made me awful.
“So I'm just sorry. Sorry.
He added: “Please understand, I have kids the same age that would have been at that concert and my fear of the forces that will harm them… is deeply politicised. It just is.
“On no level do I devalue the loss suffered.
“If you feel I did, then I completely and utterly apologise."
Hound has been a fervent supporter of Jeremy Corbyn.
In 2014 he was a failed MEP candidate for National Health Action (NHA) party.
Neither he or NHA would comment.
