Keith Lemon star reveals actual motive Celebrity Juice was axed

Celebrity Juice was the outrageous, laugh-out-loud panel show that made chaos a weekly tradition on British TV.

Hosted by the hilariously unpredictable Keith Lemon – played by comedian Leigh Francis- the show became a no-holds-barred playground for celebrity guests who were more than willing to leave their dignity at the door.

But creator Leigh, 51, has had to face the reality that over the years, younger generations humour changes and it’s become increasingly harder to win over younger viewers.

Speaking to The Sun, the blonde presenter has confessed ‘nothing is acceptable anymore’ and just like fashion, comedy tastes change.

He told the publication: ‘Now, nothing is acceptable any more — we had ‘the rules were the rules’ in past times, and they’re ­different now, so of course there are things back then that you wouldn’t do any more.

‘You don’t set out to offend anyone, you just set out to make people laugh, but for me, now when I come up with an idea, it has to be a straight one, with just a bit of silliness.

‘Quite a lot of comedians are now presenting straight shows, entertainment programmes that are funny, just maybe not as funny as a sketch show.’

He confessed that he thinks it is a ‘shame’ for viewers because some still want to watch that old-school silly comedy that was peak television in the noughties.

Leigh admitted that comedy will ‘always offend someone,’ but he feels it is all ‘being taken too seriously.’

‘At the end of the day, you’re always going to upset someone — but it’s just comedy and, in these modern times, I feel that it’s all being taken too seriously’, he added.

He then revealed that because he has dimmed down his dramatics in comedy he is frequently asked if he has ‘gone woke?’ to which he explained that he doesn’t understand what that meant.

For the iconic show, each week, two celebrity teams were led by regular captains like the glamorous Holly Willoughby and the equally wild Fearne Cotton.

They then would go head-to-head, tackling ridiculous challenges that often left them covered in food, squirming in embarrassment, or laughing until they cried.

From cringe-worthy confessions to unexpected antics, Celebrity Juice was the show where anything could happen and was seen as the perfect late-night fix.

Keith Lemon, the outrageous alter ego of comedian Leigh, was born out of Francis’ creative and absurd humor, blending influences from his personal life, pop culture, and his knack for embodying eccentric characters.

Before Keith Lemon, Francis had already gained popularity with other characters, especially Avid Merrion, from his previous show Bo’ Selecta.

Leigh based parts of Keith’s personality on people he knew in his hometown of Leeds, as well as his love for 1980s pop culture.

The name ‘Lemon’ came from a friend Francis had who was called Keith and shared some of the same cheeky, over-the-top personality traits.

The character of Keith Lemon debuted in Keith Lemon’s Very Brilliant World Tour in 2008, where he portrayed himself as a fictional version of a successful entrepreneur and ladies’ man.

Leigh’s alter ego was so adored by Brits that many fans do not realise Keith is not his real name.

He surprised fans when he ditched his comedy alter-ego Keith Lemon, during a rare interview on The One Show last year.

Leigh surprised when he made a rare appearance on BBC show as himself, rather than his alter-ego Keith.

When hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas introduced him as a guest, Leigh admitted it felt strange to be using his own name.

He confessed: ‘Isn’t that weird? When I hear my name it’s weird.’

At the time fans flocked to Twitter to share their surprise that Leigh was appearing as himself for the rare TV interview.

One wrote: ‘It’s nice to see Leigh Francis as himself,’ while another admitted: ‘I had no idea there was a real Keith Lemon.’

On the show, Leigh told how he had been told not to wear a large hat, as his alter-ego Keith does, so fans could tell the difference between himself and the character. 

He said on the show: ‘Do you know what the PR person said? ‘Don’t wear a hat so they can distinguish that you’re not Keith Lemon you’re Leigh Francis’.’ 

Leigh decided to ditch his alter-ego for the interview as he was promoting his first ever UK tour My First Time, which he is doing under his own name.

But he assured fans that they will still see a fair share of his infamous characters on his tour, which is due to kick off in March next year.

Explaining how he won’t be doing the whole tour as Leigh, he said: ‘They keep talking about that, but I’m not really doing it as myself, I’m doing it as an array of characters that I’ve played over the past 21 years.’

During his appearance on The One Show, Leigh also told how his alter-ego Keith Lemon came into being, admitting he took the name from his childhood friend.

He told how he is still friends with the real Keith Lemon now, and said his friend has to carry around a photograph of him so people don’t think he is the comedian.  

Back in December 2022, Leigh appeared on Celebrity Juice for the last time as the comedic Keith Lemon as he bid farewell to the panel show after 14 years on air.

He emotionally wiped his eyes on the final episode, titled Celebrity Juice: The Happy Ending, as the show came to an end after an impressive 26-series run.

He was joined by team captains Laura Whitmore and Emily Atack for the final episode, along with former captains Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton – who starred on the show at its 2008 launch.

Guests Will Mellor, Joey Essex, Big Narstie, Chris Ramsey and Joe Swash also appeared in the studio for the momentous occasion.