Akmal sorry for Rocky attack on TV

AUSTRALIAN comedian Akmal Saleh claims he was only joking when he unleashed a volley of foul-mouthed insults at Rockhampton on national TV.

Aussie comedian Akmal Saleh is questioned by Good News Week host Paul McDermott where he tells Rockhampton people to "go get f-----". Picture: Channel 10, Good News Week website

AUSTRALIAN comedian Akmal Saleh claims he was only joking when he unleashed a volley of foul-mouthed insults at Rockhampton on national TV.

Akmal yesterday told The Morning Bulletin he had been “carrying around the anger” of being punched in the face by a woman when he visited the city earlier this year.

The Egyptian-born comedian appeared on Channel 10’s comedy program Good News Week on Monday, saying he hated Rockhampton and claiming he was “no longer welcome” in the city after being clobbered by a woman who accused him of being a pedophile.

“Bloody Rockhampton, I hate it,” he told a laughing studio audience with almost 900,000 people tuning in at home.

“We should remove Rockhampton from Australia and put it in Afghanistan.”

Watch the video here. WARNING: COARSE LANGUAGE.

Yesterday, the comedian answered phone calls from The Morning Bulletin and reassured the city he was only trying to be funny.

He said he wouldn’t return to Rockhampton for a while for fears he would “be killed” and said he’d learned his lesson not to judge a town by one person.

“I might have to leave it a few years before I come back,” Akmal said.

“I should be a bit more careful about what I say on television.

“My intention was just to get some laughs and there’s got to be a victim in the joke.

“I don’t think anyone really believes I would like (Rockhampton) removed and put in Afghanistan.”

Akmal said his anger stemmed from being punched in the face by a woman who didn’t enjoy his Arab joke at the Rockhampton Show.

The funny man had three days off in Rockhampton and decided to take a camera to the show with his two mates.

The friends dressed in traditional Arabian outfits and did a Borat-esque skit.

The trio was lining up for a ride in sideshow alley when an angry mum confronted them.

“Listen here mate, you’ve got to have permission before you video people’s children,” the woman said.

Akmal said he tried to tell the woman she had it wrong and offered to show her the tape.

“Bulls---, you’re f---ing taping people’s children and you’re a pedophile, you dirty wog (expletive),” she said.

“Go away you idiot,” Akmal said before she punched him in the nose.

She whacked him again, “full-on punches” to his face.

“We just bolted,” Akmal said.

“I thought if we stayed we’d be lynched.”

Akmal and his mates went to a pizza shop to chill out and there they saw two guys who had been at the show.

“We were just sitting in the car and they were giving us really aggressive looks,” Akmal said.

“They were both staring at us and we got so scared that we just started the car and drove away without getting the pizza.

“We were just like, let’s just get out of this town as soon as we can!”

Akmal said his show at the Pilbeam Theatre the next night was one of the highlights of his tour and said Rockhampton was one of his favourite places to perform.

The comedian yesterday conceded he had learned a lesson in judging a town.

“There’s a lesson in not judging the town by one or two incident. It’s stupid and unfair but it’s good for comedy to generalise and make sweeping statements, as long as people don’t take them seriously.

“I have no idea about what the people of Rockhampton are really like. I only made that sweeping generalisation from being punched in the head.

“It could have happened anywhere in the county. That woman, or a clone of her, could have been anywhere.”

If the people of Rockhampton will have him back, Akmal said he would return.

“I definitely would love to come back to Rockhampton if I don’t get killed.”

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What Akmal said...
Paul McDermott (host): I’ll say a word and you say the first thing that comes into your head. Aussie.
Akmal: (In bogan accent) ‘Ow ya goin’? You want a kick in the teeth (expletive)?
(Laughter)
I don’t want you to think that’s what I think of Aussies. That’s an incident that happened in Rockhampton...
McDermott: Not doing any more gigs there?
Akmal: No, I’m not welcome. I got punched by a chick in the face.
“You want a kick in the teeth, (expletive)?” I said: “I beg your pardon.” She said: “You want a kick in the teeth?” And then she punched me in the face.
Bloody Rockhampton, I hate it. We should remove Rockhampton from Australia and put it in Afghanistan.

McDermott: Touring.
Akmal: Touring is great because you get to go to places like Rockhampton where people say, “You want a kick in the teeth, (expletive)?”
Oh man, what a place, what a place.

McDermott: Can you give a big shout-out to Rockhampton again?
Akmal: How you going Rockhampton? If I offended anyone from Rockhampton ... “Go and get f-----!”

Originally published as Akmal sorry for Rocky attack on TV