Mo Gilligan has revealed he was once followed by six police cars and a helicopter “for ages”.
The stand-up comedian, 38, recalled being pulled over by an unmarked car in an incident that felt like a “Grand Theft Auto” heist.
“One time I got pulled over by the police and there were six cars, and this was when I was doing TV and stuff,”the London-born comic said on the latest episode of Louis Theroux’s podcast.
“I’ll never forget that one. At that point you have to make a joke out of it. It was me and a mate of mine, who's my stylist.
“They followed us for ages and then they were in an unmarked car and pulled me over and there were probably about six cars and a helicopter.
“When the helicopter came, it was weird because obviously I hadn't done anything, but I was like, ‘Ooh, wow, this is a little bit exciting.’”
Gilligan went on: “But also knowing, I'm like, ‘You're really wasting your time.’ Then some of the officers, I could tell they were a bit like, ‘Oh, I think I recognise that guy.’”
When asked why police went to such extreme measures to track him down, he said: “They said that the car that I had was previously stolen. And I was like, ‘Is it the same car, colour, or is it the same number plate?’ I said, ‘They're two different things.’ But they never really gave me an answer.
“In the end, it was like, ‘Oh, it's just not the same car.’ And once they knew, everyone just scattered. Every, every car was just like, ‘Oh, well, it's not him then.’ Helicopter gone."
He explained that things wrapped up when police recognised him - but questioned why such a dramatic response was needed.
“Part of me was thinking, ‘This is a lot. I don’t need six cars and a helicopter,’" he said. "At the same time, it did feel a bit like GTA when you get five or six stars.”
Gilligan also talked about why it was “difficult” to be a young black man in the entertainment industry.
The TV star, who is of Jamaican and St Lucian descent, detailed how his identity has made it difficult for him to establish boundaries in his career.
He was asked about part of his stand-up routine where he recounts a TV producer asking him to wear a chicken suit – a request he denied as he felt it was demeaning.
Gilligan said: “I was like, ‘I’m just not feeling this. I’m just not feeling this at all.’
“It wasn’t malice, but I guess as a young black man in this space you feel like if you say no, you then might get the card of ‘oh, he’s very difficult, very hard to work with’.
“I only know that because it’s stuff that I’ve heard before from other people that have been in this space. If I say no, I might be difficult. They might not even invite me back again. I’m not trying to be a diva, but I do want to have ownership of what I do and how I do it.”
He continued: “You have to stand up for what you believe in, and you’re like, ‘my morals just tell me I don’t want to do that because I’m going to be laughed at, and I don’t want to be laughed at.’
“I’m representing almost the whole community. They’re going to be the ones who sit there and be like, ‘oh bro, what are you doing? That’s just not it. Why are you wearing a chicken suit?'”
Gilligan is outspoken about racism in the entertainment industry, and has previously commented on what he views as systematic barriers faced by black artists.
He shot to fame in 2017 with his YouTube videos, which gained the attention of stars like rapper Drake.
He then garnered attention with a slew of TV shows, co-hosting the award-winning Big Narstie Show on Channel 4 and winning a BAFTA TV Award for his own series, The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan.
He has also had several stand-up comedy specials on Netflix and is a judge on ITV’s The Masked Singer.
