Bouncer bars comedy show guests from using loo in bizarre row between brothers

Sibling stand-off: left, Alex Proud and Danielle Rigby

An art gallery and restaurant entrepreneur has become embroiled in a bizarre row with his own brother over lavatories at the entertainment venue he owns.

The row left dozens attending a comedy show barred from using the ladies and gents by a bouncer.

The dispute came after Alex Proud — who appears on the Channel 4 art dealing show Four Rooms — let out part of the Proud East culture and dining complex in Hackney to younger brother Hector for a series of comedy nights.

Hector was preparing to host the first event — a show by comic Adam Bloom — when he was told by staff that a burst pipe had put the bar and toilets out of action.

When the 60 guests arrived he discovered the lavatories were working as normal but a bouncer had been employed to stop anyone other than restaurant diners from using them.

Promoter Joel Sanders told the Standard: “It was absolutely extraordinary, madness really.

"In 30 years on the comedy circuit I’ve never know anything about it. It’s the same venue complex but one brother won’t let people at an event booked by the other brother use his toilets. It’s bizarre, but that’s sibling rivalry for you.”

Bloom said: “It was a strange feeling to turn up and see the bar and loos next door were all working as normal, but a very polite and friendly man dressed in black apparently there solely to stop my audience using them.”

With no solution in sight, Sanders scrambled to find alternative venues for the rest of the run, with some performances transferred to the Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green and some cancelled altogether.

Another promoter, Jess McKenna, also got caught up in the row last week as she hosted acting event Driftshop. She said: “He [the security guard] was turning away anyone who looked like they were associated with the annexe saying ‘you can’t use the toilets or bar’.”

Father-of-three Alex Proud, who is married to journalist and interior designer Danielle Rigby, told the Standard the decision had been taken to put a bouncer on the door to stop “anyone off the street” from using the toilets.

He said: “Me and my brother aren’t particularly close but the decision not to let people in to use the toilets is not because of any vendetta against Hector. We run completely different businesses. The loos are part of my restaurant and we aren’t going to let crowds of people in who aren’t customers interrupt our diners’ experience.

“People are making mountains out of molehills. I’ll run my business and he can run his.”

Hector was unavailable for comment.

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