Venues cancelled Katie Hopkins shows after man blackmailed them, court told

Katie Hopkins's cancelled shows: Blackmailer's chilling threat tactics exposed in court

A man who objected to Katie Hopkins's comments on gay and transgender people launched a campaign of blackmail against venues that had booked her to appear, a court has heard. Oliver Hutchings, 31, told venues in Hampshire and Lancashire that he would disrupt their shows if they did not cancel Hopkins's appearances.

The threats allegedly included plans to have people shouting, whistling, and letting off party poppers during the performances, as well as false claims of watering down drinks and failing to conduct proper background checks on staff. In one instance, Hutchings told a theatre that he was proud to have used similar tactics against other venues in the past that had booked comedian Jim Davidson.

Hutchings claimed to be acting on behalf of the LGBT community and taking issue with Hopkins's comments on dementia patients and stay-at-home mothers. However, prosecution counsel Simon Jones argued that Hutchings had crossed a line by launching a "highly focused campaign" to stop Hopkins from performing, using tactics that were both menacing and calculated.

The venues ultimately cancelled their bookings for Hopkins, leading to an estimated loss of £265,000 in revenue. Hopkins told the court that she had been subjected to hurtful comments on social media and that some people had stayed away from her appearances because they were afraid of her.

As the trial continues, it remains to be seen whether Hutchings will be found guilty of blackmail and other charges related to his actions. However, one thing is clear: Hopkins's scheduled shows have been cancelled due to the chilling threat tactics employed by a man who claimed to be acting in her name.

I don't think Oliver Hutchings was in the right, I mean, he wasn't. He used some pretty underhanded tactics to try and ruin Katie Hopkins's gigs, like that whistling thing during the shows? That just shows how low he was willing to go. But at the same time, I'm not buying all of this 'LGBT community' malarkey... I mean, if Hutchings was really acting on behalf of them, wouldn't they have done something about these comments from a long time ago? And Hopkins's comment about dementia patients and stay-at-home moms? Totally unacceptable. But cancelling her shows over his threats is kinda harsh too, £265,000 in lost revenue? That's just not fair .

I'm literally shook by this whole situation. I can understand that people got hurt by Katie Hopkins's comments and all, but blackmail? That's just not cool . Oliver Hutchings' actions are like, super unacceptable . I mean, using party poppers at her shows? Whistling? That's just ridiculous . And the fact that he was pretending to be from the LGBT community just makes it even worse .

But you know what really gets me? The estimated loss of £265,000 for Katie Hopkins and all those venues who got cancelled . I get that she made some bad comments, but come on, can't we just talk about it in a respectful way?

Anyway, this whole trial is just making me think... how do we even deal with online harassment and hate speech? It's like, so much easier to hide behind pseudonyms and anonymous accounts . We need to create more safe spaces for people to express themselves without fear of being bullied or blackmailed .

Ugh, I'm so frustrated with this guy Oliver Hutchings! He thinks it's okay to use threats and intimidation to get what he wants? Newsflash, dude: that's not how you have a conversation or express your opinion. And to make matters worse, he's been using these tactics to target Katie Hopkins, who was already being bullied on social media. I mean, come on, use your words instead of resorting to drama and disruption. The venues had every right to cancel their bookings, and Hopkins has lost out on a ton of money because of this guy's behavior. It's just not fair .

omg i was just watching this crazy video of party poppers going off at a music festival and it made me think about how much i love those things lol i mean what's not to love about a good surprise explosion of noise and confetti anyway back to katie hopkins and her cancelled shows...i feel bad for the guy who was just trying to stand up for something he believed in but at the same time his tactics were super wrong and scary have you guys ever had one of those moments where you're like "wait what am i doing?"

Honestly, I'm shocked at how far some people will go to silence others just because they don't agree with their views. I mean, threatening venues and disrupting shows? That's just not cool, dude . And what really gets me is that Hutchings is trying to pass himself off as a champion of the LGBT community, but it sounds like he's just using that as an excuse to bully people who don't share his opinions .

I remember when I was in uni, we used to have these passionate debates on campus about politics and social issues. It was always healthy, respectful, and constructive . But this? This is just toxic and manipulative . And Hopkins's loss of revenue? That's just a small price to pay for standing up for what she believes in .

Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on this trial. Hope Hutchings gets what's coming to him

Ugh, this whole situation just makes me wanna smash my laptop ! Can't believe some guy thinks he can play god and dictate what other people can or can't do based on his warped views . Newsflash: if you don't like someone's opinions, just ignore them or move on . But no, this Oliver Hutchings dude had to go and start threatening people's livelihoods over it . And honestly, who thought it was a good idea to cancel Katie Hopkins's shows because of some guy's drama? That's just gonna create more attention and sympathy for her .

And can we talk about how ridiculous this whole blackmail thing is? Who sends out threatening letters or makes false claims to get what they want? It's not exactly rocket science, folks . And what really gets me is that some people are actually sympathizing with Hopkins over this, like she's some kind of victim . Girl, if you can't handle the criticism, maybe you shouldn't be making inflammatory comments in the first place .

Anyway, hope Oliver Hutchings gets what's coming to him . But for now, let's just say I'm gonna go enjoy my shows and not worry about some dude's threats .

omg u guys i cant even so there's this guy oliver hutchings who's all like "i'm gonna disrupt katie hopkins shows" and stuff cuz she said some things about dementia patients and stay-at-home moms... like whats the big deal tho? he's all like "i'm doing it for the LGBT community" but really hes just being a total jerk . and now all these venues in hampshire and lancashire are like "nah we dont wanna book her" cuz of him . i mean idk about you but i think katie's all right, she makes me laugh . and honestly if ur gonna cancel a show cuz some dude's threatening u... that's just cowardly .

omg this guy oliver hutchings sounds like such a menace i cant believe he thought it was okay to use blackmail as a tactic to silence katie hopkins she clearly had the right to express her opinions and people have every right to boo or walk out if they dont agree with what she says but to try and disrupt her shows and make false claims about venues is just harassment plain and simple

OMG, this is soooo concerning ! I mean, who does that? This guy Hutchings thinks he's some kinda hero for standing up against Katie Hopkins' comments, but really he's just a bully with a plan . He's trying to silence her by using threats and intimidation tactics... not cool, dude .

And what's even more sus is that he claimed to be acting on behalf of the LGBT community . Like, no, mate, that's not how it works . The LGBT community isn't all about one guy's twisted views .

This whole situation just makes me so angry ... but at the same time, I feel bad for Katie Hopkins, who's already facing a lot of hate and backlash online . I hope she gets justice in this trial and that Hutchings gets held accountable for his actions #JusticeForKatieHopkins #BlackmailExposed #StandUpAgainstBullying

I'm not surprised that Katie Hopkins's shows got cancelled, tbh. The way she talks about sensitive topics like dementia patients and stay-at-home mothers is just divisive and hurtful . But what really gets me is how one guy, Oliver Hutchings, took his frustration out on venues by launching a blackmail campaign . I mean, yeah, he's got some nerve claiming to be doing it for the LGBT community, but at the end of the day, it just comes across as manipulative and attention-seeking .

It's all so messed up that venues had to cancel her shows due to his threats . £265,000 is a big loss, too . I wish they'd just stuck with their original decision and cancelled her on their own terms . Now we're left wondering what the outcome of this trial will be . Either way, it's clear that Hutchings needs to take responsibility for his actions and stop using intimidation tactics .

I'm not sure I blame Katie Hopkins for being shaken up by this whole ordeal . I mean, someone coming out of the woodwork and threatening to disrupt her gigs? That's some next-level stuff . And it gets even worse when you find out that the guy doing it claimed to be acting on behalf of the LGBT community . Like, what is this guy's game? Trying to silence someone just because their views aren't aligned with his own? Not cool .

And let's be real, if people are too scared to go see her perform because they're afraid of some dude shouting and whistling , that's not Katie Hopkins' problem. It says something about the culture we live in where people feel like they have to walk on eggshells around certain topics .

I'm keeping an eye on this trial, but I gotta say, I'm rooting for Oliver Hutchings ... just kidding!

OMG, can you believe this guy Oliver Hutchings? He's literally blackmailing venues just because he doesn't like Katie Hopkins's comments about dementia patients and stay-at-home moms. I mean, what's next? Trying to shut down events just because someone made a joke they didn't agree with?

And let's get real, if you're gonna play the victim card, at least have the decency to do it yourself instead of trying to ruin someone else's career. Hopkins was already getting hate on social media, but this guy takes it to a whole new level by threatening venues and causing them to lose $$.

I'm Team Hopkins all the way, tbh . This guy's actions are not only hurtful, but also super manipulative. I hope he gets what's coming to him if he's found guilty .

This guy Oliver Hutchings is getting some serious heat for his creepy behavior . I mean, who does that? Using blackmail tactics to ruin someone's livelihood just because they didn't agree with their views? It's not about free speech or defending the LGBT community - it's about taking things too far and being a jerk. The fact that he claimed to be acting on behalf of the LGBT community but was really just trying to silence Hopkins is super suspicious .

And Hopkins getting hurtful comments online? Yeah, that's not okay either . But come on, she's a public figure - she can take it. And now we're left wondering if this whole thing was just a huge overreaction or some serious manipulation . Either way, one thing's for sure: Hutchings needs to answer for his actions .

this whole situation is so sad and unfair... poor Katie Hopkins got her shows cancelled because of someone who was trying to bully her, but it wasn't really about what she said about dementia patients or stay-at-home mums... it's about this guy Oliver Hutchings who clearly didn't want her to perform and resorted to using some really nasty tactics like threatening venues with stuff that would disrupt the shows and even making false claims . it's heartbreaking that Katie had to deal with all this hate online and that people were too scared to come see her perform because of what this guy was saying about her... my heart goes out to her

This guy's threats were literally giving people PTSD, what's next?

OMG, what a total joke this guy Oliver Hutchings thinks he can get away with!!! He tries to pass off his own sick behavior as "acting on behalf of the LGBT community" lol, like that makes it legit? Newsflash: bullying and blackmail ain't progress, it's just plain old BS. I mean, who does this dude think he is, threatening to ruin people's livelihoods over a few tweets from Katie Hopkins? It's all just a big cry for attention, IMHO.

And seriously, can we talk about how ridiculous it is that these venues actually cancelled their bookings over Hutchings' threats? I mean, come on, they got played by some wannabe activist with a grudge. It's like they thought Hopkins was the one who was "blackmailing" them or something .

Anyway, this guy needs to get a life and stop wasting everyone's time with his drama-filled antics.

this whole thing makes me think about how our words can have so much power... like, Katie Hopkins made some comments that hurt people, but then this guy takes it upon himself to disrupt her shows and scare off the venues. is it really about standing up for what's right or just wanting attention? also, I feel bad for Katie - she was already facing backlash on social media... shouldn't we be supporting people who are being targeted by trolls instead of turning them into outcasts?

I'm appalled by this guy's antics He thinks he can just disrupt entire events and hold people hostage because of his own grievances? Newsflash, Oliver: you don't get to decide for everyone what's "acceptable" or not. The fact that you claimed to be acting on behalf of the LGBT community is especially rich - did you really think that tactic would fly? It's like a bad 90s joke

And let's talk about Katie Hopkins' comments for a sec. Yeah, she said some stuff that was hurtful and insensitive, but come on... this is blackmail we're talking about here. She didn't even have to book her shows in the first place if people were genuinely afraid of her. The venues should've just been like, "Nah, we don't want you" instead of being blackmailed into cancelling

this whole situation just makes me think about how we're all so quick to judge others without really understanding where they're coming from... like oliver hutchings, he was trying to make his point about katie hopkins's comments, but he ended up going about it the wrong way . and meanwhile, we have hopkins, who's got her own share of critics out there, getting cancelled for a reason that might not be entirely her fault... it's all just so complex and messy, isn't it? how can we even begin to have constructive conversations when we're more focused on tearing each other down than listening to the other side?