By Richard Morgan
STILL Game star Greg Hemphill launched a foul-mouthed Twitter attack on fans, threatening to axe the show forever if he gets any more questions about a new series.
In an extraordinary outburst, Hemphill Tweeted: “The next c*** that asks me to ‘Dae mair serieses of Still Game’ will seal the fate of the programme forever.”
The 42-year-old comic – who did not use asterisks – Tweeted immediately afterwards: “Sorry for the bad language….But people do type ‘dae mair serieses'”.
Glasgow-born Hemphill’s rant prompted an angry backlash from followers.
And despite his attempt to explain the comment away as a joke, the exchanges quickly descended in to a four-letter slanging match.
John McLaren, one of Hemphill’s 17,733 followers, bitterly complained: “To think that I’ve lined your pockets by buying that boxset twice now, three times if you count the one from the barras.
“What a shame for you that you made something so highly rated and loved that folk want you to do more #ingrate#notstillgame.”
Hemphill – who uses the Twitter handle @greghemphill69 – replied: “What a shame you didn’t understand that I was joking and am incredibly greatful you snarky c***.”
Nick Hall hit out: “that’s nice. C&&t as in some keen viewer who probably purchased a whole heap of them on DVD cos he loved your work?”
Another follower, David McLellan, attacked the Scottish star, writing: “Shut up and get over ursel u c***”.
Hemphill Tweeted back: “f*** you!”
Yet another follower, @mickbhoy88, told Hemphill: “You should grateful to be remember for something good.”
Under-fire Hemphill then told an apparently still friendly follower: “Ye want to see the pelters Im taking for sounding like an ungrateful bastard. Still Game fans are the best in the World!”
Still Game was created by Hemphill and comedy partner Ford Keirnan who play two Glaswegian pensioners Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade.
Controversy
Still Game ran for six successful series from 2002 to 2007, often pulling in more than one million viewers.
The future of the show is uncertain after the production company co-owned by Hemphill disbanded.
Hemphill is said to have left Effingee Productions, who produced the show, saying he didn’t want to get into a “boardroom battle” with its co-owners.
It is not the first time Hemphill has caused controversy by Tweeting.
In April last year he lashed out at the BBC after it failed to broadcast a new comedy show outside of Scotland.
He tweeted: “Looking forward to Burnistoun tonight. In case you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of it, it’s because the BBC is run by ***holes.”
In 2005, Ford Kiernan was fined £3,500 for assaulting a taxi driver in a road rage incident.
The comic pulled a taxi driver out of his car and then punched him in a supermarket car park in Glasgow. The driver required hospital treatment for swelling to his head and eye.
Celebrity Twitter users regularly get themselves in to bother with unguarded Tweets.
Scot Duncan Bannantyne caused outrage last year after offering his Twitter fans a cash reward for breaking the arms of a twitter follower who had sent his daughter an abusive message.
He said: “I offer £25,000 reward for the capture of the coward who calls himself @YuriVasilyev_ Double if his arms are broken first’.
