Isn't Frankie Boyle a funny wee man?

AS a person, wee Scot Frankie Boyle is probably a very charming and sensitive man, who buys flowers for his partner every Sunday, adores his two gorgeous children, cries at those sentimental Channel 4 weepies and regularly reads Mills & Boon.

But as a comedian, Frankie Boyle is a totally odious creature, who is about as funny as the bubonic plague.

Of course humour is a very subjective notion. Yet there were legions of fans lining up to support fearless Frankie this week for his side-splitting brand of jaw-dropping, close to the knuckle laughs.

That was when he perceptively chose to take a pitiful pop at a group of Hampshire schoolchildren who set a world record by arranging themselves in the shape of the Olympic logo.

Wise-cracking Frankie really hit the funny bone by describing the effort as “the most autistic response to a global event.” And the Mock The Week star added: “For the kids of Gosport, learning how to stand bewildered in a blue jumper is all they need to qualify them for a life of working in 99p stores.”

Oh how his fans lapped it up, loving the cheap, moronic humour. “Frankie's a comedian, he tells jokes and is very good at it,” wrote one on a comment board,

“Grow up for goodness sake.” Another chipped in sagely: “If you take things too seriously, then avoid this style of comedy and quit moaning all the time. Get over yourselves.”

And then this from another fervent Frankie fan: “A while back, audience members complained when Frankie Boyle made a disabled joke. However, they shut up after he reminded them that they had laughed all evening at ginger jokes, Irish jokes, sexist jokes, religious jokes and chav jokes. It's a bit hypocritical being touchy about one particular subject because it's close to your heart, but okay to pick on everyone else, don't you think?”

Well, they're welcome to fun-filled Frankie's brand of subtle as a sledgehammer humour, which is not clever, inventive or sophisticated. It's one-dimensional, based purely on the ability to shock.

I detest political correctness, as much as I loathe the words health and safety, so if there is an arena for Frankie's comedy then fine. But don't try to justify it as generally acceptable. Because it isn't.

Ironically, the Frankie story broke on the same day that we launched the Doughnut Dash 5k in aid of the Hampshire Autistic Society. Record-breaking 400 metre runner, Iwan Thomas, who I first met at the Atlanta Olympic Games 16 years ago, where he went on to win a silver medal in the 4x400m relay, had agreed to help promote the event.

Now retired, Iwan does a lot of TV work and corporate events - and recently ran the London Marathon - so trying to tie him down to a time for a photo call was tricky. But he was superb and posed for cameras and chatted to reporters to help launch the Doughnut Dash which takes place at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth on Sunday, July 29^th.

Iwan admitted he would love to be there himself for the 13-lap race where competitors have to eat three Krispy Kreme doughnuts half way round. 

Already, we've had a good number of entries for this unique venture - the first of its kind in the UK. So with the race taking place over the first weekend of the London Olympics, I'm hoping that this unique fund-raiser will touch a nerve and we'll be inundated with folk wanting to compete.

All the money is going to the Hampshire Autistic Society which has been going for more than 30 years now, providing a wealth of services for the 16,000 people in the county who are affected by autism.

My son, Ross is one of those. Sadly, he suffered his first epileptic fit this week in almost six months which was hugely disappointing. Ross, who is now 14, has been taking the anti-seizure drug, lamotrigine after suffering a series of fits. This one on Wednesday was brief as he fell of his chair while going into a fit. We can only hope this is a rare lapse, but it is scary to have to deal with Ross's epilepsy on top of his autism.

Ross cannot talk, he cannot express his fears or his pain. He is an innocent autistic, the sort of victim that the courageous Frankie Boyle chose to pick on. How brave and wise of you, Frankie - pushing the bold boundaries of humour in aid of a cheap laugh.

The Doughnut Dash should be a fun event, let's hope the weather brightens up over the coming months. Besides the 5km run, there will also be children's races over 400m and 800m and there will be an adult 4x400m doughnut relay.

So, if you are down on the south coast, or know friends on the south coast who fancy a run and a few doughnuts, then log onto: www.doughnutdash.co.uk

I've got a meeting with the Portsmouth sports shop Alexandra Sports in the next week or two who have promised to supply some prizes, which is fantastic.

We'll have plenty of laughs on July 29^th, and when you are dealing with autism, you have got to keep your sense of humour – but there is a limit to that comedy, especially when it becomes tasteless and crosses the line.