Russell Howard speaks out about storming off the stage during a recent gig

Comedy fans might remember a little incident involving Russell Howard last month, when the comedian stormed off the stage during a stand-up performance in Bristol, England.

If you aren’t familiar with what happened, it all had to do with an audience member taking out their device to record the gig. Of course, Russell Howard was a bit upset, and later called the fan’s choice to film his stand-up, “literally the worst thing you can do.”

Russell left his performance abruptly, leaving the audience understandably disappointed. But despite his kind of dramatic move, fellow comedians were quick to rally around him. Shappi Khorsandi, Sofie Hagen, and Danny Posthill, among others, took to social media to applaud Russell and show support.

Now, Russell himself is speaking out on what happened, explaining how he felt at the time and why he chose to abandon his performance.

According to Mirror, Russell Howard said:

"I was amazed that it went as big as it did, because you know, there’s a lot going on in the world at the moment, but apparently a wonky-eyed comedian telling a lady to live in the moment trumped all of that. You won’t find any kind of artist, or performer, or comedian, or musician that would feel differently."

Russell was also sure to defend his actions. “Particularly if you’re doing a small gig, and somebody’s recording it, it’s not going to be good for you and it’s not going to be good for the performer,” he added. “It’s just pretty simple. But I dunno, I was surprised at how crazy it went. But I think I probably did the right thing.”

Fans of the comedian are likely understanding of why he chose to storm off stage, even if the ones who were at his gig are still disappointed!