Comedian Louis C.K. is set to return to London comedy again after cancellation, a comeback, and a quiet period spent writing a novel.
Like him or not, Louis C.K. is considered one of the most influential stand-ups of his generation.
His style has always been gritty, with some seeing him as a comedic genius and others wincing at his jokes, ranging from the topics of parenting and mortality to necrophilia and other taboos.
This success came to a halt in 2017, when Louis C. K. was cancelled after sexual misconduct allegations, which he accepted were true, leading to a backlash and disappearance from mainstream media.
He quietly came back to stand-up comedy in 2018 with a surprise set at the New York Comedy Cellar but did not release a special until 2020: ‘Sincerely Louis C.K.’, which launched a 24-city comeback tour the following year.
This month’s sold out ‘Ridiculous’ Eventim Apollo show — the newly rebranded Hammersmith Apollo — suggests that his London fan base still exists, but not at the scale to warrant another arena tour.
This dip in popularity, from headlining Madison Square Garden and the O2 Arena in 2016 to more modest venues, is not all too surprising when looking at Louis C.K.’s last decade.
Aside from the cancellation and subsequent comeback tours, Louis C.K. took a break from stand-up between 2023 and 2024, to focus on his newfound passion for writing.
Speaking on the 2 Bears 1 Cave podcast in November 2025, Louis C.K. reflected on stepping away from stand-up, saying: “I took a year and a half off of stand-up.”
“I decided I wasn’t going to do comedy anymore – I just quit.”
He added that he felt no draw to stand-up during this period and instead focused on finishing his novel, ‘Ingram’, which was published in November 2025 with critics divided over his writing style and overall story.
Louis C.K. made his first TV reappearance on ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ on October 3rd to promote his novel, where he received a standing ovation, showing that his impact endures despite the scandals.
It wasn’t long until he faced public criticism, just three days after the Maher show, this time for performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, alongside peers including British comedian Jimmy Carr.
Now back on stage in the UK, Louis C.K. is selling out smaller venues, and fans will wait to see if he commands the room as he once did.
Featured image credit: Creative Commons
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