Leigh Francis suffers shocking festival injury

Comedian and DJ Leigh Francis, best known for his Keith Lemon persona, revealed a startling facial injury after an over excited fan clawed him during a set at Sound Bites festival in Syon Park.

Francis posted a video showing a deep red gash stretching from his hairline to just above his eye, narrowly missing the organ.

“Could’ve been worse, could’ve gone in my eye,” he said, adding with gallows humour: “…bit of a naughty one that, innit?”

The incident occurred when Francis ventured into the crowd mid set.

A fan shouted “I love you!” before her long thumbnail raked across his face.

He later joked on Instagram, “I guess I’ve gotta stop going into the crowd. Gonna have to put a bit of vinegar on pet. Stinger!”

Friends and fans flooded his social media with sympathy.

Stephen Paulson quipped, “Blimey! Even I didn’t do that with you and I had Wolverine claws!” while Jason Penny Cooke joked about “Edwina Scissor Hands.”

Francis leaned into the mishap by filming a follow up skit as alter ego Avid Merrion, spotlighting his “war wound” and warning festival goers not to get “too drunk.”

He teased that next time he might perform as The Bear, “who no one would dare mess with.”

Since ITV axed Celebrity Juice in 2022, Francis has focused on live comedy and DJ work.

Despite the hazards of crowd interaction, he appears committed to this path.

He told fans last year he’s unsure if he’ll ever return to TV, “Juice will never come back… I don’t think comedy is commissioned as easily as back in the day.”