Bob Mortimer once defended Jarvis Cocker after he mooned Michael Jackson at the Brits
The comedian was a key part of Britpop history.
Amazon Prime’s new comedy series, Last One Laughing UK, has earned Bob Mortimer a lot of new fans – many of whom had no idea he was once a lawyer, or was involved in a baffling case that took place at the Brit Awards in the 90s.
In 1996, Pulp had been nominated for four Brit Awards, best album, best group, best single, and best video, but had lost to Oasis and Take That in every category.
The band was booked to perform Sorted for E’s & Wizz, but before that could take place, Michael Jackson was performing Earth Song on stage at the Brit Awards.
Granted, things were a bit odd as Jackson was joined on stage by a Rabbi and a bunch of kids for his return to a British stage in 20 years – but things were going swimmingly.
Or it was until Pulp’s frontman Jarvis Cocker decided to leap onto the stage, drop his trousers and moon the King of Pop.
The move was a spur-of-the-moment protest against Jackson from Jarvis, who was then detained and interviewed by the police on suspicion of assault.
Thankfully, a bona fide solicitor turned comedian was on hand to help.
Jarvis’s ambushing of the stage was an iconic moment (Picture ITV) Bob was a solicitor in a previous career (Picture: PA)Bob was a solicitor once upon a time, so he was able to help Jarvis out of the legal entanglement.
Speaking about the incident on Radio 6, the comedian said: ‘I went backstage at the Brits and Ant from Pulp came up to me and said “Jarvis has been arrested, and Michael Jackson’s people are holding him.”‘
He explained he had no idea what had been going on, but went to the portacabin where Jarvis was being held.
‘I said “I’m Jarvis’s solicitor, I demand entrance to the portacabin.”
‘They wouldn’t let me in. This was serious security. So I got a female police officer and I said “I’m Jarvis’ solicitor and these guys won’t let me in. Can you help me get in?”
@bbc6music ♬ original sound – BBC Radio 6 MusicHe managed to get into the room with her help and asked a ‘sheepish’ Jarvis ‘what on earth was going on?’
He recounted that Jarvis said: ‘I showed my bum to Michael Jackson!’
Speaking to Richard Herring in a podcast, Bob said that the ‘police were lovely’ but it ‘all was a bit unpleasant.’
He added that the ‘police were a bit frightened’ by Jackson’s people and wanted to arrest Jarvis and take him away from the Awards ceremony.
Jarvis was arrested after being detained by Jackson’s people (Picture: Avalon/Getty Images)Jane Savidge’s book This Is Hardcore explained that Jarvis was then taken to Kensington Police Station and questioned for two hours before he was allowed to leave.
‘I couldn’t believe they were saying that at first,’ Jarvis said. ‘Then, they carted me off to the police station, so it wasn’t much of a joke.’
Jarvis was released on bail that night at three in the morning and was informed that he would have to answer to any charges in March.
Marc Marot, Island’s managing director at the time, who was sitting on Pulp’s table, told The Guardian in 2021 that while all of this was taking place, everyone was a little but drunk.
‘Nick Angel was a bit p****d and Bob Mortimer was a bit p****d, too.
‘At one point, the duty officer said to me, “If your friends don’t back off, I’m gonna put them in the f*****g cell, too.”
He also recounted that outside the station, Vic Reeves held up a sign saying, ‘Free the Jarvis 1.’
Jackson aired his frustration in a statement (Picture: Phil Dent/Redferns)In a statement after the incident, Jarvis explained why he mooned Jackson.
‘My actions were a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing.
‘The music industry allows him to indulge his fantasies because of his wealth and power. People go along with it even though they know it’s a bit sick. I just couldn’t go along with it any more. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision brought on by boredom and frustration.’
Jackson also released a statement after the show, condemning Cocker.
‘I’m sickened, saddened, shocked, upset, cheated and angry, but immensely proud that the cast remained professional and the show went on.’
Speaking about the incident the next day with Chris Evans on TFI Friday, Jarvis said: ‘The police have got until March 11, which is when I‘ve got to go back to the police station, and then, if they’ve thought of anything, then I’ll get charged with it.’
He also further added: ‘I was just sat there watching it and feeling a bit ill because he’s there doing his Jesus act and I could kind of see that there were a lot of other people who found it quite distasteful as well.
‘Stage is there, I’m here, and I thought I could actually do something about it and say this is rubbish for once.
‘I just got up and just bombed it because I knew I would have to move fast because if anybody cottoned on to what was happening I wouldn’t get on.
‘I was there and once I was, I kind of didn’t really know what to do then, so I thought, well I may as well bend over and show me bum.’
Jarvis went on to appear in court, but was not prosecuted for flashing his bottom.
Pulp also performed at the 1996 Brits (Picture: JM Enternational/Shutterstock)The singer was never charged, and decades later he revealed that the fame after the event damaged him ‘massively’.
‘In the UK, suddenly I was crazily recognised and I couldn’t go out anymore,’ he told The New York Times in 2020.
‘It tipped me into a level of celebrity I couldn’t ever have known existed, and wasn’t equipped for. It had a massive, generally detrimental effect on my mental health.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
