Church where GH Elliott is buried considers erasing his ‘deeply offensive’ stage persona

The church where a music hall star who performed in blackface is buried wants to erase his ‘deeply offensive’ stage persona from his gravestone but cannot contact the singer’s next of kin.

Dancer GH Elliott performed in the early 1900s under the moniker the ‘Chocolate Coloured C**n’ – now considered a highly offensive racial slur.

He died in 1962 and is buried in Rottingdean, East Sussex, where his controversial stage name is inscribed on his headstone.

Now the Archdeacon of Brighton and Lewes wants to remove the ‘deeply offenisve’ wording and his grave was today being boarded up while the Church decides what steps to take.

Mr Elliott’s gravestone in the churchyard of St Margaret’s Church, which depicts a stage with curtains drawn back, reads: ‘The last curtain call for GH Elliott the Chocolate Coloured C**n who passed peacefully away 19 November 1962. Dearly loved R.I.P.’ 

Church officials have covered the gravestone with a bin liner and boarded it up with pieces of wood.

The gravestone of Alice Banford, known as Lal Cliff, who also died in 1962, which reads: ‘C**n singer and dancer’ has also been covered. She is buried next to her husband, another music hall entertainer, Harry.

The Archdeacon of Brighton and Lewes, Revd Martin Lloyd Williams said: ‘I find the inscription on these two headstones deeply offensive and am sure that the vast majority of people would agree and would want it changed.

‘Over the last few months, investigations have been underway as to the legal and other considerations around seeking a solution, not least seeking to identify and contact the next of kin [who own the headstones]. Meanwhile, the headstones have been temporarily covered up.’

The action follows a series of attempts by Black Lives Matter campaigners to remove or deface monuments to historical figures linked to racism and the slave trade – most notably the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol. 

Black Lives Matter protests have taken place around the world following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in the US after a police officer knelt on his neck, prompting greater scrutiny over the use of blackface in the media. 

Earlier today comedian Harry Enfield sparked outrage by mentioning Mr Elliott’s controversial stage name live on BBC Radio 4 while defending his own use of blackface after impersonating Nelson Mandela on his sketch show Harry and Paul.

The comedian angered some Today listeners after using the word ‘c**n’ during a debate about the use of blackface in comedy with comedian Ava Vidal, as a wave of anti-racism protest sweeps the UK.

Both Mr Enfield and Paul Whitehouse have faced criticism over scenes from their sketch series Harry and Paul in which Mr Enfield appears dressed as Nelson Mandela selling drugs and promoting shoplifting. 

It comes after Little Britain was removed from Netflix, BBC iPlayer and BritBox amid concerns that the use of blackface characters on the series is no longer acceptable.  

When asked by host Nick Robinson about the connotations the use of blackface gives, Mr Enfield said on Radio 4: ‘Obviously Al Johnson or GH Elliot, who played the Chocolate Coloured C**n in the 1930s – they perpetuated the myth of the happy negro who was just very happy to sing under the crack of the whip, the American whip or the British imperial bayonet and obviously that’s deeply offensive and always will be.’ 

Mr Robinson replied: ‘Just to be clear, Harry, because there will be people offended by that term you just used. You’re using it in inverted commas. Let’s not repeat it, but it’s a term that was used at the time.’

Enfield responded: ‘Well, that was his name on stage. But I’ve played Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, David Cameron – four prime ministers. Say Rishi Sunak became prime minister, I would find it difficult that I would not be allowed to play him because of the colour of his skin.’ 

Regarding the depiction of Mandela in Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry and Paul broadcast in 2007, Enfield added: ‘I thought, who is my hero? Nelson Mandela, who I had the pleasure of meeting once, and what’s the stereotype of black people?

‘At the time, there was a lot of things in the paper about drugs, so I made him a drug dealer, or a peddler of alcopops to children and things like that, which I thought was so wrong it was alright. I wouldn’t do it now, but I don’t think I regret it. 

‘I definitely think there should still be a conversation about it.’  

Enfield was condemned by listeners on social media for his comments on the programme.

One Twitter user wrote: ‘Listening to Harry Enfield saying ‘c**n’ on @BBCr4today (‘but that’s what he was called!’) is not really how I wanted to start the day.’ 

Another said: ‘Not only defended blacking up by way of it being just ‘commentary’ but then just casually threw in the word ‘c**n’. Don’t know if he was always like that but certainly in the last few years, Harry Enfield has become a smug little w*****!’

One Tweet read: ‘Good god Harry Enfield on Radio 4. Congrats Ava Vidal for keeping your cool. #radio4 the segment would have been a whole lot more interesting hearing what @thetwerkinggirl had to say in full and leaving out some idiot saying the word c**n (?!) Hadn’t even had my coffee yet.’

Vidal said on the show: ‘I’m sure you can take the mickey out of the prime minister without blacking up, if there was a black prime minister.

‘If you’re going to do comedy, why wouldn’t you subvert the stereotype, why wouldn’t you challenge it, why would you reinforce it?

‘You have to look at the origins of blackface. It was distorting black people’s features, it was done for the entertainment of white people and it was done promoting negative stereotypes, and it normalises dehumanisation.’ 

She also tweeted following the conclusion of the programme: ‘Tim Nice But Dim.’ Not a character. Who tf knew?! ‘C**n y’know. LOL. F*** me. ‘C**n. Before 9 in the morning. I haven’t even eaten yet. I can’t stop laughing. WTAF? I’m in shock.’ 

Ava Vidal told Metro: ‘It proves how deeply ingrained these attitudes are that he could utter that word without so much as a by your leave. 

‘This is why Black & POC have to lead the conversation on racism because many White people don’t even notice it. 

‘I would have liked more time cause I had more points to make and I feel I wasn’t given the chance to do so.’ 

Host Nick Robinson apologised on Twitter, he said: ‘The discussion on @bbcrdtoday about comedy and the portrayal of black people between Harry Enfield & Ava Vidal has provoked a lot of comment. I’m really sorry a racial slur was used on air. I pointed out that it was offensive and asked Harry not to repeat it.

‘As I have said in the past – in a totally different context – ‘Normal service from the BBC means you will hear people you disagree with say things you don’t like’ but you should not hear racially offensive language & I’m sorry you did.’

TV presenters Ant and Dec apologised on Wednesday for using blackface during a segment on Saturday Night Takeaway. 

Last week, comedian Leigh Francis issued a tearful apology for portraying black celebrities on sketch show Bo’ Selecta.

Netflix has also pulled The Mighty Boosh and League Of Gentleman from the service over their use of blackface.

•  Do you know any relatives of GH Elliott? Contact [email protected]