Inside the Secret WhatsApp Group Where Female Comedians Expose Industry Menacing Patterns
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in the comedy world when the stage lights dim and the laughs fade? It’s not just jokes and punchlines — there’s a whole undercover operation happening in group chats, where women in comedy are quietly swapping stories, warnings, and survival tips about who to watch out for. After the shocking conviction of Russell Brand for assault, comedian Kate Smurthwaite took to Newsnight to reveal how these digital whisper networks are a lifeline, helping women navigate a freelance industry where saying “no” isn’t always an option, and the risk factors include late nights, drunken crowds, and yes, the ever-lurking narcissist. It’s a grim reality wrapped in a shambolic, audience-free package that these comedians dodge with a mix of humor and hard truth—because sometimes the biggest punchline is staying safe while you try to get your gig. Curious about how this backstage banter solves real dangers?
A comedian has shared some of the messages from a group chat of women working in comedy to make clear the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep each other informed of danger.
Following the conviction and sentencing of comedian turned Christian influencer Russell Brand for rape and sexual assault, Kate Smurthwaite appeared on Newsnight last night (11 November) to share some examples of what women in comedy were doing to protect each other.
One example she shared had a comedian asking whether any of the other women had a bad experience gigging for a certain someone and being told minutes later they were ‘beyond rude’ while also quipping that this ‘shambolic’ individual was ‘mainly audience free’.
Others joined in with the group chat to warn their compatriot he was incredibly ‘creepy’ and to ‘avoid him if you can’.
Smurthwaite shared further messages from another woman who was asking if she should ‘back out’ of a gig because she was on the bill with a man she wanted to avoid.
One group chat had a comedian described as ‘sooooo creepy’ and one to avoid (Newsnight)
The comedian was torn between her desire to perform and not wanting to start something significant, but wanting to make sure she was as safe as possible.
Elsewhere, another message was warning women that a comedian was booking gigs under a different name now as she’d learned to her dismay that he would be on the bill with her.
Another woman revealed she had shared a car with the man and thought he was ‘awful’, and that he was still getting booked even after they’d warned promoters about him.
“These are the conversations that we’re having,” Smurthwaite told Newsnight of the effort women put in to protect and warn each other.
“I don’t think it’s unique to the comedy industry, I think that there are women in similar groups in banks, women in similar groups in call centres. I don’t think there’s a magic place where this doesn’t happen.
In another message from the group chat there were questions about what to do when on the bill with someone they’d been warned about (Newsnight)
“I do think comedy has its unique risks, it’s a freelance-heavy industry. When work is offered to you it’s very hard to say not. There’s no easy place to ascertain who you’re gonna be working with.
“And it happens late at night and people are often drunk, so there’s those risk factors.”
The comedian want on to say that it’s a business where you go on stage and get laughs and cheers for it, saying there was ‘no denying this is the kind of industry that would attract a narcissist‘.
While she acknowledged that each industry had their own problems, Smurthwaite said that women faced ‘definite particular risks’ in comedy.
A comedian shared a heads up that someone was booking under a different name (Newsnight)
When Katherine Ryan spoke to Louis Theroux and said it was an ‘open secret’ that a TV star was a sexual predator she spoke about group chats between women in comedy and how these discussion on the men to be careful of was a regular topic.
“This is what we talk about… female comics and probably actresses and women in my industry talk about all the time because that is the safest way for us to talk about it,” she had said.
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