A member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has lodged a compliant against the president of the prestigious club, Stephen Fry, over offensive jokes he is alleged to have made during a cricketing dinner at the iconic Lord’s stadium.
The claim against the actor and comedian have been refuted by the club, according to a report in The Telegraph.
According to Chris Waterman, who is also a member of the MCC, Fry said: “I had intended to say ‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen’ but there are no lady members present. I suppose they are off shagging.”
Fry is also alleged to have made a joke about an amateur cricket club called Allahakbarries, which was founded by Peter Pan author JM Barrie. Waterman claimed that Fry joked that “the term ‘Allahu akbar’, when used today, was usually followed by a loud bang”.
Other members of the MCC, who were present during the dinner, have told media organisations that the misogynistic joke had been misheard. They have also clarified that the joke about Muslims was not made by Fry.
Some guests told The Times that Fry’s joke was: “I had intended to say ‘Good evening, ladies and gentlemen’ but there are no lady members present. Now we can talk about shagging”.