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A Welsh BBC personality who uses social media to openly back a controversial political cause, has been publicly condemned as a “safeguarding risk” after making a 12 year old cry because he refused to officiate the second half of a children’s rugby match.
Comedian and amateur rugby referee Mike Bubbins, who presented a programme on BBC Radio Wales (RW), walked off the pitch after abuse in the first half, and it was reported in a story. He said afterwards: “I just said ‘I am not doing the second half… I don’t need this”.
But a Nick Evans offered an alternative view of what happened, saying on Facebook (FB): “There are two sides to this story, and this is the wrong side and no context in place for what actually happened. Some good comments on children’s unseen special needs. The simple truth to this is that he was a safeguarding risk to children through poor refereeing where they could get hurt and then insulted a 12 year old chid at half time and made him cry. He was replaced as the referee and the children continued the match safely and in a good spirit, as it should be. Fact”
However there was no mention of this version of events in the report about the May incident in BBC Online, which only gave Mr Bubbins’ account: ‘”He blamed the problems with players on a lack of positive role models. “I imagine they have parents that do not parent properly and coaches that do not coach properly,” he said.’”.
Yet Mr Bubbins is no stranger to controversy.
In reply to a message about the Grenfell Tower tragedy by former Prime Minister Theresa May, he said on Twitter: “The people they’re fighting, day in, day out, are your government, made up of you and your mates, who are still refusing to replace the exact cladding which caused the Grenfell tragedy on many other tower blocks, you shameless, disingenuous, arsewipe.”
In another tweet Mr Bubbins made clear his support for Welsh independence: “So I finally, properly, joined @YesCymru. Not because I’m in anyway anti-England, or anti-English, far from it, but because I am 100% anti-getting dictated to by that shower of berks lining their own pockets in Westminster. There simply HAS to be a better way, Ymlaen Cymru” (emojis) heart and Welsh flag.
This may, perhaps, be of particular interest during Eisteddfod week.
Other tweets by this ‘comedian’, have also been headline-grabbing, and according to some who have seen them, not funny at all. Mr Bubbins proclaimed: “I think its fair to say that the large numbers of working class people in the North of England and Wales who voted for the Tories in the last election, might not be so fucking stupid the next time around.” (emoji smiley face). He has said about a former Welsh secretary: “And @AlunCairns is a total penis…” (emoji smiley face).
These tweets, though, might prove problematic.
The YesCymru (YC) tweet could be difficult for the majority of voters in Wales (who vote for parties opposed to independence at elections).
Mr Bubbins will presumably know that ALL of the committee members of YC resigned in a huge row over transgenderism. The organisation also released a sexist video in support of its cause (which was deleted). Officials put out the video promoting Welsh independence which featured a pair of cartoon women’s legs in stockings, and one critic on social media said: “fire the pig that designed it”. It displayed the cartoon of a woman wearing stockings and red arms, with a map of Wales for her body and screaming “YEEEEEEEEEEES” in the caption below.
A disillusioned member of YC also said that he was watching “with increasing horror as the welsh independence movement has been embroiled in a bitter debate over the issues of transgender rights” the concerned member or ex-member, also wrote: “As a non-binary person, logging onto social media everyday, to witness my rights be debated with such bitterness and contempt, to questions of whether transgender people should be welcomed, embraced and supported by the independence movement has been draining and dehumanising.
“I have been harassed, doxxed (publishing private information about an individual on the internet with malicious intent), and been sent death threats – all because I have refused to remain silent over the treatment of transgender individuals within the movement.”
Yet despite his contentious support for YC, and foul-mouthed tweets, Mr Bubbins became the face and voice of an official Welsh Government (WG) education scheme that helps children as well as their parents, even after he was severely reprimanded by a social media company when he called an MP “a c***” (spelt in full).
Mr Bubbins said about Monmouth MP (and present Secretary of State for Wales) David TC Davies that he would appear to be “hypocritical, dishonest, racist, sexist, mysogynistic and homophobic… Maybe he’s confusing being right wing with being a c***” and ended the outburst on Twitter with another smiley face emoji.
He has also said about Mr Davies on Twitter: “Can anyone help me out? What’s the Welsh for ‘Christ, isn’t that attention seeking berk, with a face like a blind carpenter’s thumb, @DavidTCDavies just about as thick as a pig’s thickest shit?’ Diolch yn fawr. x” Following a major complaint, Twitter warned: “Our investigation found this account violated the Twitter Rules” with a link to the account of Mr Bubbins.
Plainly Mr Davies has incurred the wrath of Mr Bubbins, because he is a regular target of his ‘humour’. He said on Twitter in reply to Mr Davies: “Did this involve breaking the law by spending much more on it than is legally allowed? If not, you’re on thin ice. You chinless berk.” (smiley face emoji).
Mr Bubbins has, too, condemned on Twitter the “rank hypocrisy” of Boris Johnson’s former aide, Dominic Cummings, who masterminded the Conservatives’ winning General Election of 2019. He wrote sarcastically and shockingly on Twitter about Mr Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle during lockdown, that he was “Appalled but unsurprised to read about Dominic Cummings’ rank hypocrisy. But appalled and surprised to learn that somebody willingly let Dominic Cummings erect penis inside them and leave it there until it ejaculated. Absolutely shocking behaviour.”.
Yet despite this kind of language, and allegedly making a 12 year old cry, Mr Bubbins was part of the ‘Welsh Government’s Education Begins at Home’ campaign, which stated: “The Welsh Government want all children to have the right skills to face a changing world. A good education is an important part of that”.
The scheme tries to set a good example to parents with small children. Social media has been used extensively and on Twitter it was announced: “Welsh Government’s Education Begins at Home provides information on how you can support your child at home & help their performance in school @dechraucartref”.
Officials published a link to their podcast which stated: “Comedian Mike Bubbins asks Ysgol Bro Morgannwg teacher Catrin Bennett what parents can do…”. Another said: “Comedian Mike Bubbins shares his experiences of being a dad of children in a Welsh Medium school.”.
But on the website of this ‘comedian’, which was called “The Retrosexual Male”, Mr Bubbins wrote: “… I did some things I wouldn’t do now, things I’m not proud of. But you do when you’re young. And, anyway, that’s what the twin tub washing machine was for…Takin’ Care of Business.”. Mr Bubbins says about his FB page: “This is the place to celebrate all things Bubbins, to massage my ego and to essentially never return to, once you have ‘become a fan’ in the broadest possible terms.”.
Mr Bubbins was also a teacher, and he has starred in BBC Cymru Wales’ (BBC CW) Tourist Trap, but his proposal for a school sitcom was rejected by officials there.
He is, too, one of several people behind The Socially Distant podcast.
It is evident that Mr Bubbins is as well a supporter of fellow BBC broadcaster, the rugby commentator (and former Welsh international) Jonathan Davies, who has also been at the centre of disturbing news. On Twitter he has advised ex-players anxious to break into punditry, to: “Listen to Jonathan Davies doing it on @BBCSport”.
A former senior staff member with the corporation, said about the programme ‘Nothing Beats the 70s’ fronted by Mr Bubbins: “It’s a complete rip off of ‘Sounds of The 70s’ with Johnnie Walker on Radio Two and a desperate effort to mirror Owen Money’score audience appeal (plus 60). Let’s hope Bubbins has more traction than at a Radio Wales celebration performance at The Grand Theatre, Swansea several years ago when he bombed on stage!”.
It might also be a bomb, that it’s been said on FB he was a “safeguarding risk” who made a 12 year old cry after he refused to officiate the second half of a children’s rugby match…
The memories of Phil’s astonishing 39 year award-winning career in journalism (including some of the stories he covered during his 23 years at the BBC) as he was gripped by the rare neurological disabling condition, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order the book now!
Regrettably publication of another book, however, was refused, because it was to have included names.
