Comedian Mo Gilligan recalled the moment police followed him with ‘six cars and helicopter’ over a mistake - things quickly wrapped up once the officers recognised him

Mo Gilligan revealed that six police cars and a helicopter once followed him “for ages”, comparing the moment to something from a GTA game.

The comedian, 38, has become one of the most recognisable stars in the UK over the last decade, thanks to hilarious sketches and his hosting efforts.

In a candid conversation on the latest episode of the Louis Theroux podcast, which ranged from racism to football, he recalled being stopped by the police over an apparent issue with his car.

“One time I got pulled over by the police and there were six cars, and this was when I was doing TV and stuff. I’ll never forget that one,” the London-born star told the host. “At that point you have to make a joke out of it.

“It was me and a mate of mine, who's my stylist. They followed us for ages and then they were in an unmarked car and pulled me over and there were probably about six cars and a helicopter.

“When the helicopter came, it was weird because obviously I hadn't done anything, but I was like, ‘Ooh, wow, this is a little bit exciting.’ But also knowing, I'm like, ‘You're really wasting your time.’ Then some of the officers, I could tell they were a bit like, ‘Oh, I think I recognise that guy.’”

When the host asked why they’d taken such extreme measures to hunt him down, Mo replied: “They said that the car that I had was previously stolen. And I was like, ‘Is it the same car, colour, or is it the same number plate?’ I said, ‘They're two different things.’ But they never really gave me an answer.

“In the end, it was like, ‘Oh, it's just not the same car.’ And once they knew, everyone just scattered. Every, every car was just like, ‘Oh, well, it's not him then.’ Helicopter gone."

He explained that things quickly wrapped up once the officers in question recognised him, but questioned why such a big response was needed.

“Part of me was thinking, ‘This is a lot. I don’t need six cars and a helicopter,’" he continued. "At the same time, it did feel a bit like GTA when you get five or six stars.”

Mo has been a staple of the comedy industry for years, having gained a following in 2017 after posting videos on YouTube while working at Levi’s. His videos quickly went viral and caught the attention of many, including rapper Drake.

A few months later, he co-hosted the award-winning Big Narstie Show on Channel 4 and hasn’t looked back, landing a BAFTA TV Award for his efforts on his own series, The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan. He currently serves as a judge on the Masked Singer on ITV.

Unpacking his career so far, Louis questioned his guest over part of his stand-up routine, where he recounted a TV producer asking him to wear a chicken suit - something he denied as he felt it was demeaning.

Standing by his sentiment, Mo explained: “I can’t say which show it was but I was like, ‘I’m just not feeling this. I’m just not feeling this at all.’

“It wasn’t malice, but I guess as a young black man in this space you feel like if you say no, you then might get the card of ‘oh, he’s very difficult, very hard to work with’. Now I only know that because it’s stuff that I’ve heard before from other people that have been in this space.

“If I say no, I might be difficult. They might not even invite me back again. I’m not trying to be a diva, but I do want to have ownership of what I do and how I do it.”

He added: “You have to stand up for what you believe in, and you’re like, ‘my morals just tell me I don’t want to do that because I’m going to be laughed at, and I don’t want to be laughed at.’

“I’m representing almost the whole community. They’re going to be the ones who sit there and be like, ‘oh bro, what are you doing? That’s just not it. Why are you wearing a chicken suit?'”

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