Louis CK has made his first appearance onstage since the scandal over his sexual behaviour last year.

The comedian did a short set at the Comedy Cellar in New York on Sunday night, a club where he has often performed in the past.

According to a report in the New York Times he went onstage at around 11pm, dressed in a black T-shirt and grey trousers. Noam Dworman, the owner of the Cellar described his material as “typical Louis CK stuff....it sounded just like he was trying to work out some new material, almost like any time of the last 10 years he would come in at the beginning of a new act.”

CK has kept a low profile since stories emerged that he had masturbated in front of women. He has issued a statement but has not gigged since then.

Reports suggest that most of the audience was excited by the surprise appearance and he received an ovation even before he spoke, although at least one member of the crowd did complain the following day, according to the New York Times.

Noam Dworman defended his decision to let CK perform. “I understand that some people will be upset with me. I care about my customers very much. Every complaint goes through me like a knife. And I care about doing the right thing.” But he dded, “there can’t be a permanent life sentence on someone who does something wrong.”

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