Because there are people who like him, in the same way there are bound to be some who think of Paul Hogan as the greatest ever Australian comic. I think of it as an example of the way that everyone is someone's idea of a hot date.

automatically get good seating

Nope. I was pleased to see they did at this theatre. The usual place for 'wheelchair' spaces is at the far back corners of the stalls / which ever level is at the ground floor. And then there are only a couple of spaces.

So hooray for an architect and client who wanted better than that.

I have no idea who the guy is

Came to fame in the 70s, and his act hasn't moved on since then. Basic joke: 'they're a bit odd, not a rich white middle-class Tory like me, let's all laugh at them, ha ha'.