Comedian Alex Lowe found life imitating art at a recent gig.

Lowe currently performs on the circuit as Clinton Baptiste, the hopeless, undiplomatic psychic he played in Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights on C4. This is as well as recording his podcast (upcoming guests include Harry Shearer). Lowe also appears on Shaun Keaveny’s BBC6 Music Show as Clinton, doing ‘readings’ for listeners.

Alex Lowe takes up the story: "A bloke in the audience took umbrage at what the spirits were telling me at a gig at a school in Winchester and he began shouting in French. He had heckled “Jacko!” As if to suggest I was channeling the ghost of Michael Jackson. At least I think that’s what he said and I came back at him and then suggested the spirits had called him a cunt. It got a big laugh - it’s something usually say in my act anyway."

"I realised I had overstepped the mark when the shouting started so I apologised more than once and acknowledged it was maybe a clash of cultures that he was so offended and I wouldn’t carry on, seeing that he was so insulted."

"I thanked the people in the hall and high-tailed it off the stage. However, this audience member came after me in a blind rage and had to be shoved and wrestled by comedian James Gill and my heroic new agent Paul Baker to keep him away from me. The guy tried to get down the corridor where I was hiding but quick thinking and some pushing obviously saved the day. He then came back and went outside to wait for me. In the TV show, Clinton is attacked by a massive bloke when the spirits interpretations are “I’m getting the word...nonce!” And it was a case of life imitating art (though I didn’t call him a nonce)."

The whole evening came to an abrupt end. I had to be spirited out of the hall disguised as a parent carrying a box of Quality Street as a raffle prize as the school security were worried he was still waiting for me which he was but didn’t notice me. All a bit shocking- I felt like the Jack Grealish of the comedy world."