Comedian AY replies to UK fans who accused him of scamming them after a Cardiff show ended in an empty hall, and explains what he says went wrong on the night.
Comedian AY has finally responded to UK fans who accused him of scamming them after his Cardiff show ended in an almost empty hall. In a statement and a video shared on social media, Ayomide Makun said the trouble came from an unpaid balance between his team and the organisers, not from any plan to let anyone down.
According to AY, the payment for the show had been due since the end of September, and the organisers promised to settle it before his team left for the venue. That didn’t happen. He says something similar happened in Leicester, where he and his fellow comedians performed after being assured the money was coming, only for the balance to stay unpaid.
Cardiff got messier. AY says the team struggled to reach the organisers, even to arrange accommodation, and ended up waiting outside until about 3 a.m. before his own card was charged to secure rooms for everyone. A sponsor, Enoch Adekoya, later stepped in over the payment dispute, and the comedians got to the venue around 10 p.m. By then, most of the audience had already left. A few people were recording, and AY filmed the big empty hall himself.
He didn’t brush off the anger. AY admitted that fans who bought tickets and waited deserved better communication, and he understands why people look to him first, since “my name and face were on the flyer.” Still, he reminded them that an event also depends on promoters and organisers doing their part, for the audience and the performers alike.
He also asked fans not to let one bad night wipe out his more than two decades in the industry, insisting he wouldn’t travel from Nigeria with his team just to disappoint the people who support his work.
On the practical side, AY wants the organisers and his UK tour management to give ticket holders a clear resolution, including details on refunds. He advised affected fans to contact the platforms or vendors where they bought their tickets and to ask their banks or card providers about chargebacks. He’s also considering reporting the matter to the police.
For now, this is AY’s side of the story, and fans will be watching to see what the organisers say next. When a show falls apart, who should answer first, the face on the flyer or the people who ran the event?
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