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A comedian has been left ‘mentally scarred’ after a heckler broke his leg on stage.
Simon Cain, who has been doing stand-up for 20 years, was performing at a pub in Bacup, Lancashire, when the shocking incident unfolded.
The 49-year-old said tensions had been building with one of the punters after he started messing with the microphone as Cain was trying to set up.
When his gig started, he said the perpetrator started heckling him and when he retorted, the man ‘side-swiped’ him and broke his leg in the process.
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Cain, from Billingham, said the attack has not only left him mentally scarred, but also ‘skint’ as he’s currently unable to work.
Speaking to ITV News, he said: "I've had better weeks. I've been doing this for 20 years, I can't believe what happened to me.
"I was booked to do the show, when I arrived the landlord said 'set up in the corner'.
"There were around 12 people from a funeral. This guy started messing about with the microphone, I said 'put it down, leave it alone'.
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"He went out and came back about half an hour later, must have heard me performing and was stood by the fruit machines heckling me.
"I gave him something back so he side-swiped me, kicked my leg and broke my tibia.
"I've never been hit so hard in my life, the pain was excruciating. He was massive, he made Dolph Lundgren look like one of the Seven Dwarves."
Cain was so shaken by the incident that he drove all the way back to Billingham before seeking medical treatment.
"I drove more than two hours and crawled out of the car crying," he continued. "Next day, we phoned the ambulance. I've had X-Rays, CT scans.
"I can't have any weight on my leg for two months, then I need an operation for a plate. The kneecap is smashed onto the tibia bone.
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"It's affecting me mentally. People are warned I'm one of the most outrageous comics in the UK, I take no prisoners. Now I'm thinking, 'Can I really go back on and do it and perform?'
"It's horrible, what he's done to me. My material is not for the easily offended. This guy was heckling and if you heckle a comedian, you expect something back."
The comic went on to highlight the now-infamous Will Smith Oscars slap, which he suggested has had a damaging impact on the standup sector as ‘people think it’s okay’ to attack a comedian.
"Things changed the day he did what he did. All us comedians have said this, the man [Will Smith] set a precedent," said Cain, adding, "If you don't like a comedian, just get up and leave."
The dad-of-two has thankfully received support from friends, family and fellow comedians, including Frankie Allen.
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"Frankie's had his teeth smashed out before, I supported him a few times when he first came on the scene," he said.
"He rang me yesterday to give me a few words of wisdom. He told me to 'keep your chin up' - well he actually said 'chins'.
"He said 'keep your bottle, you will come back bigger and better, come and see me we'll have a drink'."
No arrests over the incident have been made at the time of writing, although Lancashire Police confirmed an investigation is ongoing.
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LADbible has contacted a representative for Cain and Lancashire Police for further comment.
Daisy Phillipson