Stand-up comedian Rosie Jones has responded to criticism after playing shows at inaccessible venues.
Rosie – who has cerebral palsy – shared a Twitter thread on Monday afternoon in which she revealed she’d “recently received some negative messages” about having performed at venues with little or no accessibility for disabled patrons.
“I’ve recently received some negative messages about not showing solidarity with the disabled community because I sometimes perform in inaccessible comedy venues,” she explained.
“The unfortunate reality is that a lot of venues are inaccessible and if I were to cancel gigs in such places I would a) lose out on a lot of work and b) most probably be replaced by a non disabled comic.”
The star continued: “I feel like I can show solidarity with the disability community by performing in these inaccessible venues and educating them on how to be more accessible. I also think everybody should be held accountable.
“Very few of my non disabled colleagues are expected to only perform in accessible venues and then face negativity online when they do.”
“When I tour next year I am only performing in accessible venues. This is the first time I’ve had control over where I perform,” she added.
“Change cannot happen overnight and even though I have a disability, I’m still learning. I don’t get it right all of the time, but I’d like to think that my work has a positive impact on raising awareness and highlighting what needs to change. We can all be better.”
As well as making appearances on panel shows like QI, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and The Last Leg, Rosie is known for her travel show Trip Hazard: My Great British Adventure.
She has also written a children’s book, The Amazing Edie Eckhart, and penned an episode of the Netflix teen drama Sex Education.