Frankie Boyle appeared in the High Court today accusing The Mirror of âserious libelâ in an article that described him as a âracist comedianâ.
Poor-manâs-Sadowitz Boyle today told a jury that we was âvery seriously libelledâ? by the article, on the opening day of his week-long trial against Mirror Group Newspapers, publisher of The Mirror.
On July 19 last year, the newspaper published an article with the headline âChannel 4: We are back on the Boyleâ?.
Boyle said that he was defamed by the article as it accused him of being a âracist comedianâ?, and claimed he had been âforced to quitâ? the BBC Two comedy show Mock the Week over a controversial joke about Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington.
The article opened with: âRacist comedian Frankie Boyle could soon be returning to TV despite upsetting thousands of viewers with his sick jokes.â?
David Sherborne, representing Boyle, said: âCalling him vile and offensive is one thing. It goes with the territory. But accusing him of being a racist is an entirely different matter.â?
He added: âHis complaint is that he has been very serious libelled by being called a racist, which is completely untrue. There is no ambiguity here. Mr Boyle is no racist.â?
Mirror Group Newspapers stands by its accusation of racism, and the court heard that the publisher intends to use examples of Boyleâs jokes to prove the allegation.
The trial continues.
