Nicola Sturgeon: '˜Alex Salmond is not sexist' after Fringe joke

Nicola Sturgeon has leapt to the defence of her predecessor Alex Salmond over a joke he made during his Edinburgh Festival show.

Former First Minister Alex Salmond on stage. Picture: Lesley Martin/PA Wire

The former MP has been accused of sexism over a lewd innuendo - which mentioned Ms Sturgeon as well as Prime Minister Theresa May - he made on stage.

Ms Sturgeon insisted Mr Salmond was “not sexist”, telling BBC Scotland “I think I would know if he was sexist, and emphatically he is not”.

She added: “Occasionally Alex is not as funny as he thinks he is, and perhaps this is an example of a joke which belongs more in the Benny Hill era than in the modern era.”

The ex-MP’s jokes came under fire from opposition parties who said they were “degrading” and that he would not be winning any awards for his comedy show, which is performed at the city’s Assembly Rooms.


Mr Salmond, who dropped the gag in the second edition of his show named First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davdison, Prime Minister Theresa May and US First Lady Melania Trump in the joke, saying: “I promised you today we’d either have Theresa May, or Nicola Sturgeon, or Ruth Davidson, or Melania Trump, but I couldn’t make any of these wonderful women come.”

Following a drum roll from the onstage band, Mr Salmond added: “To the show.”

Former First Minister Alex Salmond on stage. Picture: Lesley Martin/PA Wire

‘Alex Salmond Unleased’ will run for two-weeks at Edinburgh’s Fringe. The first edition of the show, named ‘Unleashed’, which saw Brexit secretary David Davis make a guest appearance, was panned by critics.