Steve Brookstein may be the first ever winner of X Factor, but he certainly didn’t attract any new fans with his distateful HIV joke on Twitter about presenter (and series 6 runner-up) Olly Murs’ on-screen gaffe.
Murs mistakenly announced that contestant Monica Michaels was eliminated from the competition, before the results of the vote were made public.
Related: UK Pop Singer Olly Murs Is Thinking About Bulges In Men’s Underwear
For reasons we can’t imagine, Brookstein, who won series one in 2004 before having a falling-out with Simon Cowell, responded with an HIV joke.
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He posted:
And if anyone was expecting an apology, here’s a taste of Brookstein’s feelings on the matter:
All the homosexual magazines are offended. pic.twitter.com/k6MFZ6BGT0
— Steve Brookstein (@stevebrookstein) November 16, 2015
For reasons that are painfully obvious, it didn’t go over so well in the twitterverse:
Xzamilio
He shouldn’t apologize for a joke and I’m glad he’s not, especially in that context. But, he lost me with the Facebook post invoking Charlie Hebdo and ISIS… settle down there, buddy. You’re verified on Twitter and you barely get retweeted… so I’m thinking you’re kinda happy someone apparently cares what you have to say.
Gerald GeeLocke Panuthos
piece of shit.
Donald MacMelville
Never heard of him. Looks like I won’t again.
Stache
Wow. He has all the charm of Michael Richards or Kramer calling people in the audience ni*gars after he was got pissed off. Thankfully, he’s now gone. Hopefully this ugly duchebag follows him.
alphacentauri
Who?
aliengod
@Xzamilio: Wow. I completely agree with you.
Gothrykke
Never apologize for making the joke. Apologize for it not being funny and work on your material. It isn’t a context or audience thing, the joke just wasn’t funny. The kinda humor you were going for is shock value, HIV just isn’t shocking. Why do you think soaps don’t use it anymore? Even South Park commented on that, and those guys can beat a joke to death.
Kieran
Who the f-ck is Steve Brillstein?
Marky
@Gothrykke: Exactamundo.
PRINCE OF SNARKNESS aka DIVKID
Substitute “HIV” with “cancer” or Alzheimers” and if you’re instantly no longer offended then you’re nothing more than a victim-wallowing whining hypocrite. Context is EVERYTHING. Now, the way he handled the aftermath is another matter altogether.
stranded
@Xzamilio: I agree. the joke was whatever.
gaym50ish
Am I the only one who didn’t get the joke?
Christopher DeRosa
I don’t get it?
Wil Maclachlan
Stop bringing him up let him fade into obscurity
Judy Rae Jackson
Who? Never heard of him.
Derek Perron
I’m offended that it was a piss poor joke not bc of the HIV thing
trell
I’m offended that any X-Factor contestant, winner or not, is getting any sort of credibility on Queerty.
It’s the equivalent of finding out that the limelight hog at your local karaoke bar, thinks that he is the next Marvin Gaye, and that he still has the mental capacity of an 8 year old.
In other words……MEH!