Comedian AY breaks silence after UK fans accuse him of scamming them over no-show

The comedian says sponsor Enoch Adekoya intervened in the Cardiff payment dispute before he and his team arrived at an almost empty hall.

AY urges Cardiff fans to seek refunds through ticket vendors or request chargebacks from their banks as he considers reporting the incident to the police.

The comedian addressed the controversy in a statement and a video shared on his social media pages after disappointed ticket holders accused him of letting them down at the UK event.

AY said he and his fellow comedians travelled to Cardiff ready to perform but encountered difficulties over an outstanding payment owed for the show. According to him, the organisers had promised to settle the balance before the team left their accommodation for the venue.

He explained that the payment had been due since the end of September but remained unpaid. The comedian also recalled a similar experience in Leicester, where his team performed after receiving assurances about payment, yet the outstanding balance was still not settled.

“We also struggled to reach the organisers, even to arrange accommodation for us. We were left outside until about 3 a.m. before my card was charged to secure rooms for everyone,” he said.

Despite the earlier difficulties, AY said his team travelled to Cardiff in good faith and continued efforts to resolve the payment issue. He disclosed that a sponsor intervened before the comedians eventually proceeded to the venue at about 10 p.m. However, they arrived to find that most of the audience had already left.

“We entered the hall and discovered that most of the people had left. We met a few people who were recording us. I also recorded the large, empty venue myself, but by then, most of the audience had gone,” he said.

AY acknowledged the frustration of fans who paid for tickets and waited for the performance, accepting that they deserved better communication from the organisers.

“I understand that my name and face were on the flyer, so people will naturally look to me for answers. However, an event also depends on promoters and organisers fulfilling their responsibilities to the audience and the performers,” he said.

The comedian urged fans not to allow the incident to define his more than two decades in the entertainment industry. He also maintained that he would not deliberately travel from Nigeria with his team to disappoint the people who support his work.

AY called on the organisers and his UK tour management to provide a practical resolution for ticket holders, including information about refunds. He advised affected fans to contact the platforms or vendors through which they purchased their tickets and consider approaching their banks or card providers for payment disputes or chargebacks.