COMEDIAN Jason Manford was forced to back-track after joking that Leeds Bradford Airport “needs a bit of a paint job” — only to be reminded it has recently undergone a £100 million redevelopment.
The Manchester comic shared a video on Facebook on Monday morning while making his way through the airport ahead of a flight following his appearance at the Kirkstall Abbey comedy event over the weekend.
Praising the airport’s straightforward approach, Manford said: “Just going to say this and I mean it in the most respectful way. Leeds-Bradford is the perfect airport for people who want to go on holiday but don’t need the airport to be nice.
“Don’t need loads of options for food and shopping. Get on, get on your plane, get out. The staff are great. The whole place needs a paint-job but if you’re not bothered about nice shops and restaurants, get in, get on your plane, get on holiday.”
However, after viewers pointed out that the airport had recently benefited from a major refurbishment programme, Manford posted a second video from his seat on the plane before take-off.
With a smile, he acknowledged the comments, saying: “Yeah… I see a few of you have mentioned that Leeds-Bradford has had a £100m regeneration recently. I mean… I guess £100m doesn’t get you as much as it used to.”
He added: “To be fair, when I walked through there was a new bar there and that and it did look nice to be fair.”
The comedian rounded off the exchange with a football-themed joke, quipping: “£100m. Could have got Jack Grealish for that.”
The first phase of Leeds Bradford Airport’s redevelopment was completed last summer with the opening of a new terminal extension. A second phase is currently under way and includes improvements to the existing terminal building as part of the airport’s wider modernisation programme.
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