Rylan Clark made light of the controversy surrounding his immigration remarks during a pantomime performance on Sunday evening, quipping that he might be "cancelled for the second time in a year."
The 37-year-old broadcaster is currently appearing as the Fairy Godfather in Cinderella at Southend Cliffs Pavilion, performing alongside Strictly Come Dancing's Ross King, who takes on the role of Buttons.
The self-deprecating joke came after Mr Clark accidentally let slip a swear word in front of the packed audience, which included numerous children, during a tongue-twister segment, Mail Online reports.
The former X Factor star was referencing the criticism he received earlier in 2025 following his comments about illegal immigration on ITV's This Morning.
Rylan Clark made a joke about the incident from earlier this year
|ITV
His performance also featured a rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
The Radio 2 presenter triggered 702 complaints to Ofcom back in August when he discussed the illegal immigration crisis whilst standing in for Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard alongside co-host Josie Gibson.
During a conversation with Camilla Tominey and Tim Campbell about news headlines, Mr Clark acknowledged the benefits of legal migration.
"This country is built on immigration. Legal immigration - a lot of the nurses, the doctors that have saved my mum's life have come over here from other countries.
Rylan Clark prompted a mixed response from This Morning viewers | GETTYThey're living a great life, they're paying into this tax system, they're helping this country thrive," he said.
However, he questioned what he perceived as inconsistent border policies, asking: "How can it be that if I turn up at Heathrow Airport as a British citizen and I've left my passport in Spain, I've got to stand at that airport and won't be let in. But if I arrive on a boat from Calais, I get taken to a four-star hotel?"
The online backlash prompted Mr Clark to address the situation on Instagram, where he argued that it was possible to be "pro-immigration and against illegal routes" whilst supporting other social causes, encouraging people to have conversations rather than "shouting on Twitter."
Some commentators praised the presenter for his "honest" assessment, suggesting he had "summed up the mood of the nation."
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Rylan Clark made the comments in August
|ITV
Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid publicly defended Mr Clark after Kevin Maguire accused him of "regurgitating terrible myths."
Ms Reid noted that Mr Clark "pointed out that this country is built on immigration and he was grateful to all of the migrants who have come to the NHS for helping support his mum."
She maintained his remarks were not anti-migration but instead reflected concerns about border control, adding that he was "concerned, though, that we've got a sort of welcome to the UK, and we don't know who all of these people are."
Since the controversy, Mr Clark has continued to focus on his broadcasting work, maintaining his Saturday afternoon slot on Radio 2.
Rylan Clark shared a defiant statement on X back in August
| XThe presenter is also reportedly still in the running to join the new Strictly Come Dancing presenting lineup.
This marks Mr Clark's second consecutive year headlining the pantomime at Southend Cliffs Pavilion, with this season's production of Cinderella featuring him as the Fairy Godfather.
During Sunday's show, he paid tribute to his co-star Ross King, expressing that he "loved" him whilst simultaneously claiming he "hated" him for repeatedly altering the script.
Mr Clark also noted that Mr King kept changing things up during their performances together, adding an element of unpredictability to the production.