The Bad Apples bring Indigenous voices to comedy in Kelowna
Published 11:00 am Wednesday, January 7, 2026
The Bad Apples began as an Indigenous comedy duo formed by Nelson Mayer and Clayton Stewart.
This Winnipeg-based team has been bringing raw, honest and deeply human stand-up comedy to audiences across Canada for several years. Their performances have graced renowned platforms like Disney+, HBO, Prime Video, Crave TV, APTN, CBC, Sirius XM, iTunes, and TUBI. They are bringing their most recent comedy tour to several communities throughout the Mainland and Vancouver Island from Jan. 13-27. But this tour will look a little different.
Stewart was tragically killed in a house fire on Dec. 29, 2025. The fire happened at his home and took his life suddenly and without warning and, according to Mayer, the comedy community is still in shock.
“This loss is incredibly fresh, and we’re all still trying to wrap our heads around the fact that he’s gone,” tells Mayer. “Clayton wasn’t just my comedy partner — he was one of my closest friends, a creative collaborator, and someone who brought deep kindness, sharp intelligence, and fearless honesty both onstage and off.”
Stewart was also a powerful Indigenous voice in comedy. According to many friends, he cared deeply about people, about community and about using humour as a way to connect and heal. Many remember his rare ability to be hilarious without ever being cruel. That he believed in lifting others up and creating space for Indigenous stories to be heard and celebrated.
In the days since his passing, his friends and tour mates had many difficult conversations about whether continuing The Bad Apples tour was the right thing to do. Mayer said that they knew there was no easy answer.
“Ultimately, we came to the conclusion that Clayton would want the show to go on — not to move past him, but to carry him with us. Comedy was his life, and bringing people together through laughter was something he truly believed in,” said Mayer.
The upcoming shows are being done in Stewart’s honour. The tour now features Mayer alongside other Indigenous comedians, including fellow Winnipegian Scott Porteous and B.C.’s own Keith Nahanee on select dates, and hosted by Saskatchewan comedian Drea Omer. But, they note, Stewart’s presence was felt in every decision they made.
“Our hope is that people come out not just to laugh, but to understand who Clayton was, how much he meant to so many people, and the impact he had on Indigenous comedy and the wider arts community.”
The tour opens in Mission on Jan. 13, before heading to Kelowna for Jan. 14, at Wings Tap & Grill at 8 p.m.
Then it’s over to the Island where it will hit Duncan, Courtenay, Parksville, Port Alberni, Ucluelet, Campbell River, Ladysmith, Port McNeill and Nanaimo. Tickets to shows can be found at jumpcomedy.com
