Malcolm Offord did not make a short, single-line remark about George Michael so much as deliver an after‑dinner speech that included what has been widely described as an “inappropriate” and homophobic joke connected to the singer’s death and his partner, Fadi Fawaz.

What he said (in essence)

Reports explain that during a Burns Night/after‑dinner speech at London Scottish Rugby Club (around 2017–2018, when Offord was chairman), he made a joke involving George Michael’s partner Fadi Fawaz, in the context of Michael’s death.

Witnesses have called the joke “crude, in bad taste, and insulting,” and it has been repeatedly characterised as homophobic, though the exact wording has not been printed in full by mainstream outlets.

Key reported details

  • The joke was delivered as part of a longer comic speech linking George Michael’s songs to the works of Robert Burns, with video clips of Michael’s hits and Offord’s own “questionable” dancing.
  • Attendees said the remark about Fadi Fawaz, made in the wake of Michael’s death, crossed a line and left people in the room uncomfortable.

Offord’s response and apology

  • Offord has confirmed that he did make an “inappropriate joke” and says he “instantly regretted it.”
  • He has apologised, insisted he is “not homophobic,” and said he took responsibility at the time, including making a donation to an LGBTQ+ or LGBT rugby charity.
  • He has framed it as a “clumsy mistake” but maintains that it does not reflect his views.

How it’s being reported now

  • The story has resurfaced because Offord is now Reform UK’s leader in Scotland, and critics have called the joke homophobic and asked whether he should remain in post.
  • Coverage focuses less on the exact wording (which is generally omitted) and more on:
    • The fact it targeted George Michael’s partner after the singer’s death.
    • Witnesses’ reactions and discomfort.
    • Offord’s later apology and denial of homophobia.

TL;DR: He made a longer Burns Night gag routine about George Michael that included a reportedly homophobic, “crude” joke about Michael’s partner Fadi Fawaz after the singer’s death; this prompted complaints, an apology, a donation to an LGBTQ+ charity, and his later insistence that he is not homophobic.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.