Adelaide Fringe Festival comedian confronted by Grant Denyer over ‘drug’ joke

Comedian Sam Taunton often told a Grant Denyer joke his crowds “loved”, but things went south when the man himself was in the audience for it.

Comedian Sam Taunton has revealed his biggest regret was a joke he often told about Grant Denyer during his sets.

Ahead of the Adelaide Fringe Festival, which kicks off February 18, the The Project contributor told news.com.au’s I’ve Got News For You podcast he came up with a Denyer gag years ago that his crowds went nuts for.

Lo and behold, one day he delivered the controversial joke while the Family Feud host himself was sitting in the crowd.

“There’s so many jokes I regret saying onstage, but I used to do a bit years ago about Grant Denyer when he was in the papers for, let’s say, experimenting with drugs that keep you awake for long periods of time,” Taunton told host Andrew Bucklow.

“I used to do that joke everywhere I went and people loved it. One day, I did it and Grant Denyer was in the crowd.

“I saw him after the show, I had to look face-to-face with him, and he said, ‘Nice set mate. Maybe work on a few of those’.”

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Sam Taunton regrets his Grant Denyer gag. Picture: Adelaide Fringe 2022

Denyer has been open about his addiction to painkillers. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Gold Logie winner Denyer, 44, has been open about his past addiction to painkillers, revealing he became hooked on the drugs while recovering from a monster truck accident that left him with a broken back in 2008. He was later involved in another car crash with co-driver Dale Moscatt at a rally in Victoria in 2017.

Speaking with his wife Chezzi on their It’s All True podcast in 2020, Denyer recalled a shocking incident that took place when they were living in an apartment on Castlereagh Street in the Sydney CBD.

“I remember one night I left the house in my undies to go and get some scotch,” Denyer said.

Chezzi added: “He said, ‘I want some scotch, you f***ing b**ch.’ I was like, ‘I beg your pardon?’ He said, ‘listen, you f***ing b**ch, I am going to get some scotch. Where’s my ginger ale?’

“He came out and said, ‘Well if you’re not going to get it for me, fine, f**k you,’ and he grabbed the keys and walked straight out the door,” Chezzi said.

Grant Denyer posted from his hospital bed after his car crash in 2017. Picture: Grant Denyer‏/Twitter

Grant stressed it was the withdrawals talking and he would never normally speak to his wife like that.

“I just wasn’t in a place where I could understand my own actions or behaviours,” he said.

Detailing another incident, Denyer said: “I remember waking up thinking there was a home invasion and I thought that Chezzi was being attacked, being raped in the apartment.

“I’m trying to find these guys who are attacking you and raping you. I’m like, ‘Where are they? I know they’re here! Where are they?’”

The couple said the strong medication Grant was prescribed during his recovery was “the worst part of the injury by far”.

“We had so many drug psychosis episodes where Grant would kick me out of the house because he would say I was an impostor dressed up as Chezzi,” Chezzi said. “He’d be like, ‘I don’t believe you. Get out of the house!’”

Originally published as Adelaide Fringe Festival comedian confronted by Grant Denyer over ‘drug’ joke