3 Bucks star hits out at 'censorship' of comedy after Enoch Burke backlash

In today's hyper-sensitive climate, comedians are finding themselves walking a tightrope between humour and offence. With the rise of cancel culture, many wonder just how far they can go before they're flagged.

Stephen Kelly from 3 Bucks Left insists that comedy should be bold, unfiltered, and unapologetic in the wake of backlash to his comments on Enoch Burke last week.

In a video, the former Hardy Bucks star asked if Enoch Burke would be in jail "if he was Muslim" and was immediately hit with a wave of comments and was criticised in a number of national newspaper articles.

Kelly commented: "I always say, if it's done right and done tastefully—and I use 'tastefully' very loosely—the main thing is that it's funny, then a good comedian should be able to make fun out of absolutely anything, and you must also be able to make fun out of yourself." 

Known for his sharp wit, crude comedy, and self-deprecating introspection, Kelly believes that some groups miss out on the opportunity to use humour to foster understanding.

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"I always felt that minority groups, like the LGBTQ community or the traveling community, fight against humour. It’s not even real travellers, but sympathiser groups. If these groups used comedy to their advantage, people would understand them a lot better instead of trying to fight it."

Kelly said he experienced multiple bans on social media for pushing the boundaries of acceptable humour.

"During lockdown, you couldn’t even mention 'COVID' without getting slapped with a warning. I’ve been banned so many times. Recently, just for talking about the European Court of Justice. I've had to rebuild my TikTok from scratch after they shut me down with over 126,000 followers."

Despite these setbacks, Kelly refuses to compromise on his style using comedy to deliver messages on hard-hitting subjects.

"I talk about topics others avoid. I love riding the edge because that's just my style. If I didn’t get a kick out of it, there’d be no point in doing it. I can’t do knock-knock jokes.

For Kelly, comedy isn’t just about getting laughs—it’s about making people think.

"I like tackling hard topics like Enoch Burke, the LGBTQ community, immigration—anything really," Kelly says. "Sometimes I post content that’s not meant to be funny but carries a message. I use humour to highlight issues or injustices and wake people up. Most of the time, it works.

"Making people laugh gives them a break from reality, even if it’s just for a few seconds or a couple of hours. It makes me feel good to give people that escape. I try to support charitable causes too, and do challenges for the Cancer Fund for Children."

Kelly acknowledges that online fame has its darker side. “Recently, I highlighted some messages from someone using different accounts to harass me and businesses around Galway, damaging their reputation,” he says. “Having a platform with a million followers makes you susceptible to unwanted attention. Social media can be beautiful, but it can also be a nasty, dangerous thing.”

Despite these challenges, Kelly believes in the importance of taking risks in comedy. “If you’re willing to poke fun at yourself, you’re entitled to make fun of others too,” he explains. “But not everyone can handle that kind of humour.”

As cancel culture continues to grow, Kelly remains steadfast in his belief that comedy must push boundaries and stay uncensored. “Without comedy, we lose a crucial way of seeing the world for what it is.”