Melbourne comedy festival says critics created ‘a complete bin fire’ after Barry Humphries’ death

Barry Humphries helped establish the Melbourne International Comedy festival but its director says this was a ‘tiny, tiny part of his career’ and the focus on it since his death is ‘a bit sad’. Photograph: AAP

The director of the Melbourne international comedy festival has accused “keyboard warriors” who know little about the event of creating “a complete bin fire” and a distressing “shitstorm” after the death of Barry Humphries.

The festival has denied “cancelling” the lauded satirist and comedian, who died in Sydney on Saturday, at the age of 89, despite his name being stripped from the MICF’s main award in 2019 over comments he made about the transgender community.