Comedian Jim Davidson is renowned for his ability to shock and offend.
Since shooting to fame in the 1970s, it’s fair to say Jim – who is at the centre of a new documentary, The Cancellation of Jim Davidson, tonight (November 9) – has ruffled plenty of feathers.
But what happened between him and Ashley Banjo? Why did Jim give his wife a “shiner”? And what were his “really rude” comments that led to him getting axed from a TV show? Read on and we’ll tell you…
Jim Davidson: Operation Yewtree arrest
Back in 2013, Jim was arrested by police as part of Operation Yewtree, set up in 2012 in the wake of the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.
He faced 11 allegations of sexual assault – which he vigorously denied. Jim ended up facing no further action – but he reportedly forked out £100k on legal bills.
I couldn’t work out why someone would say these things. I don’t think I’ll ever get an answer.
In August 2013, the Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was “insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction”.
Speaking about the ordeal in 2014, Jim told The Telegraph: “It frightened the life out of me.” He then added: “I was outraged by these things that were said. I couldn’t work out why someone would say these things. I don’t think I’ll ever get an answer.”
Jim Davidson gave his third wife ‘a shiner’
Jim has had a tumultuous love life. He has been married five times and has five children with three of his ex-wives.
However, during his relationship with his third ex-wife Alison Holloway, the pair often came to blows, with one row resulting in her getting a black eye.
“We’re like a couple of boxers. On the first occasion, I poked her in the eye by accident. I actually went for the mouth […],” he said in his autobiography, The Full Monty.
Jim then said: “The second time I gave her a shiner. I threw a bunch of keys which whacked her in the eye. Just for a giggle she kept blackening it up to make it look worse.”
In 2014, Jim explained more about the row and said it had all been an accident. He told The Telegraph: “I didn’t mean to do it. That’s why I admitted it, and now I’m accused of being a wife-beater.”
He added: “We were married for three months. I met her at pantomime and we were divorced by the summer. It’s a relationship that both of us regret.”
Jim’s ‘really rude’ comments that led to TV axe
In 2007, Jim took part in a celeb special of Hell’s Kitchen. He appeared alongside the likes of Abbey Clancy, Brian Dowling and Lee Ryan.
However, Jim was axed for making homophobic comments, branding gay men “shirtlifters” while talking to an openly gay Brian.
After Brian dubbed the remark as “really rude” he burst into tears. Jim then fumed: “Go on. You play the whole homophobic card you are a [bleep]ing disgrace.”
A spokesperson at the time said: “ITV does not condone comments which could cause offence,” revealing it had asked Jim to leave the show.
Jim then released a statement. In it, he denied he was homophobic but “the moment was right to leave”.
The BBC reported that the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom had received 46 complaints following Jim’s exit. The complaints were over Jim allegedly bullying Brian. However, Ofcom concluded that nothing unacceptable had happened.
Jim Davidson’s racism row with Ashley Banjo
Back in 2021, Jim ended up storming out of Ashley Banjo’s documentary after the Diversity star confronted him over his “racist” views.
The documentary saw Ashley explore the fallout from Diversity’s hard-hitting Black Lives Matter-inspired routine on Britain’s Got Talent. The dance referenced the murder of George Floyd in the US. Subsequently, it received more than 24,000 complaints from viewers.
One of the most vocal complainers was comedian Jim Davidson. On his YouTube channel, Davidson said at the time: “If you can [bleep] you can dance really.” He also went on to say: “I saw it [the Diversity routine] on the day a black man was charged with murdering someone in Birmingham.”
In the documentary, Ashley invited Davidson in for a chat to discuss the video. Ashley said: “As far as I was concerned, that video you made about Diversity was racist. Racist in every single way.”
Furthermore, when Ashley produced the video for them to go through, Jim decided enough was enough.
“Oh Jesus, this is [bleep]ing crazy… I admire you for doing it, but you’ve got me wrong,” he said before storming out.
Why Jim Davidson walked out of gig over disabled people
In 2003, Jim walked out of a comedy venue, Plymouth Pavilions, before his show after a row about disabled guests in the front row of the audience.
Jim had asked staff to move them to the side but was refused, resulting in him pulling out 15 minutes after his support act took to the stage.
“Jim Davidson apparently took exception to a number of wheelchair users in the front stalls of the Pavilions Arena,” a spokesman for the Pavilions said. It then said: “Mr Davidson cited the fact that a proportion of his act was aimed at disabled customers and that he would be unable to perform under these circumstances.”
In a statement from Jim at the time, he revealed he “took the mick” out of everyone in the front row of his shows, and feared it would look like he was “specifically targeting disabled people”.
He said: “As all the people in the front row were in wheelchairs I feared it would appear I was specifically targeting disabled people. I asked if just some would mind moving. Much of my act depends upon audience reaction and in fact one part of the show involves getting the audience to gang up against the front row.”
One member of the audience, who used a wheelchair, slammed Jim for his decision. 83-year-old Kenneth Hull, said: “He is supposed to be a comedian but that was no joke,” as The Guardian reports.
The Cancellation of Jim Davidson airs on Saturday (November 9) at 9pm on Channel 5.
Read more: Linda Nolan supported as she recalls ‘tough and torrid’ time on Big Brother
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