Mike Read apologises for ‘blacking up’ in UKIP Calypso video

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read has apologised and withdrawn a music video for his song ‘UKIP Calypso’ after people complained about him blacking up during his performance.

The song has been withdrawn and the video removed from sharing sites such as YouTube after the DJ apologised, though he did blame people for taking offence where really there wasn’t any to be had.

Read told reporters, “It’s just an old-fashioned political satire, and everyone knows you can’t do a calypso accent without blacking up.

“People are very very very quick to take offence these days, when really there was nothing wrong with me doing a song about immigrants in an immigrants voice and with a blacked-up face like an immigrant – it was all perfectly harmless fun!

“I shall just have to show my support for UKIP in another way in future I guess.”

UKIP Calypso song withdrawn

With lyrics such, ‘I can’t believe it, I’m all agog, the guy who served me this coffee was a wog’ the song has been criticised by groups against racism, a claim Read himself strongly denies.

“Just because the song was in support of a group seen as racist, made jokes about immigrants, and had me with a painted black face does not make it a racist song.

“Unless of course, you want to get all ‘dictionary definition of the word’ on me, which would be ridiculous anyway.

“Actually, did you know the EU wants to ban English dictionaries? It’s true, Nigel Farage told me.”