KEVIN Bridges has accused the comedy club that helped make him a star of failing to pay fellow stand-ups.
Bridges publicly blasted leading comedy club chain, Jongleurs on Twitter on Tuesday telling them to pay their acts money they are owed.
And despite performing at the chain frequently throughout his 15-year career, the 30-year-old from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire said he was “disappointed” in the company and urged them to “sort it oot”.
Posting to his 1.2million Twitter followers, he wrote: “Disappointed to hear @JongleursComedy still not paying their comedian’s the money they’re owed. Used to be great to work for… Sort it oot!”
Bridges did not expand on his allegation and Jongleurs have refused to comment but the outburst follows a lengthy dispute between a number of comedians and Jongleurs, with some complaining they don’t get paid for months on end.
Weighing into the argument, Bridges’ post has attracted almost 500 likes and dozens of comments praising the star for standing up for his peers.
One follower said: “Well said bud, good to see someone with your profile standing up for the little guys.”
Another wrote: “I’m sure no one else on here would accept non payment! You’re quite right to highlight the problem.”
And one fan said: “They’re having a laugh!”
Some followers used the post to reminisce seeing Bridges in one of the clubs in previous years.
Brian Macpherson wrote: “First place a see you Kev. A christmas night out in about 2006’ish. About 40 people in it. U were brilliant.”
Jongleurs boast of having more than 30 years of comedy experience with over 1,800 comedians on their database.
Over the past three decades they’ve produced more than 60,000 shows and have nine clubs nationwide.
In 2013 the company vowed to clear all outstanding debts to stand-ups after some comics took to social media to publicise the problem.
Some British circuit comics had outstanding payments in the thousands for gigs they performed for the chain, who claim they are the single biggest employer of comedians outside of the BBC.
However every year since, comedians have still continued to take to social media to share stories of outstanding payments from the firm.
In 2014, Scottish comedian John Scott wrote on Twitter: “OK everybody here’s the deal. Jongleurs owe us 1,700 quid. If they don’t pay me and Lesley can’t go on our honeymoon.”
The same year, and after five months of no payment, stand up Ben Norris wrote: “If you tweet that Jongleurs owe you money from November do they get angry?….or do they pay you ?”
In 2015, another comic wrote on Twitter: “Anyone heard anything about Crimbo gigs? Diary looking blanker than Jongleurs accounts staff when you ask ‘em for pay.”
Bridges has been performing stand-up gigs since he was a teenager and has amassed an estimated £6 million fortune since finding fame.
In his 2014 biography, We Need To Talk About…Kevin Bridges, the funnyman praised Jongleurs for giving him one of his biggest breaks at the start of his career.
A spokesman for Jongleurs declined to provide an official comment but said their social media team would be “sorting it out internally”.
