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Christopher Biggins: ‘The Sultan of Brunei looks like an old queen’

Jun 05 2014
Written by Scott Roberts

Christopher Biggins has mocked the Sultan of Brunei’s support for anti-gay legislation, saying he “looks like an old queen anyway.”

The gay entertainer told the London Evening Standard that he’s completely appalled by Brunei’s recent decision to make homosexuality punishable by death.

However, Biggins claims it’s too late for him to pull out of attending a charity event next Thursday at a London hotel owned by the Sultan.

“I’ve been booked to host the Stroke Awards luncheon for months” he said. “It’s too late to find another venue: all the printing is done and it would eat into the Stroke Association’s funds to splash out now. I don’t want to let them down.”

Biggins adds that he will begin his boycott as soon as the lunch is over on 12 June. “I will not be going back,” he stresses. “That law beggars belief. He looks like an old queen anyway.”

On Monday it was revealed that the Duchess of Cambridge had visited The Dorchester last week for a wedding.

The wedding apparently took place in the hotel’s penthouse and pavilion and the Duchess is said to have been joined by her parents, Carole and Michael, brother James and sister Pippa.

Last month, the Chief Executive of the hotel group, Christopher Cowdray, stated his company’s commitment to equality and called on the boycott to end.

A string of celebrities, including Ellen Degeneres, Stephen Fry, Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson and Sharon Osbourne in April began a boycott campaign against The Dorchester Collection, famous for its Beverly Hills venue.

In the UK, the British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) announced it will not stage its awards dinner at The Dorchester in London.

Gay rights charity Stonewall held its annual Equality Dinner there in April.

Last month, the charity attracted criticism for criticising the nature of the boycott, whilst failing to say if it would hold future events at the hotel.

Stonewall’s Acting Chief Executive Ruth Hunt confirmed three days later that it would no longer use The Dorchester Hotel for events.

Former Conservative Party chairman Lord Deben has called on all organisations to shun using the hotel.

US Vogue Editor Anna Wintour became the latest celebrity to join the campaign last week.

Meanwhile, Kings College London is under pressure to strip an honour given to the Sultan of Brunei.

In April, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah gave approval to Brunei’s revised penal code, which urges death by stoning for same-sex sexual activity.