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Dean Blundell in 2013.Ernesto Distefano

Dean Blundell, the divisive shock jock who has been out of the public eye since Corus Radio cancelled his morning show on 102.1 The Edge in January amid allegations of homophobia, will offer himself up as a sacrificial lamb to fans and haters at a roast next month.

Mr. Blundell told The Globe and Mail on Friday that Toronto's Sound Academy club will stage an "I Got Fired!" roast on April 5, in which he would submit to the insults of comedians Gerry Dee, Barry Taylor, Craig Gass, and others. Mr. Blundell said that mayoral candidate John Tory's attendance "is tentative, but I'm pretty sure he's coming."

He also promised that members of the public would have a chance to sling their best mud at him.

"I've always said: 'Live by the sword, die by the sword,' " said Mr. Blundell. "I've made a long and very profitable history of making fun of people, and taking my shots at people, and this is everybody's chance to take shots at me."

The official announcement is expected Monday.

Mr. Blundell and The Edge parted ways in January, three weeks after Corus suspended him and his co-host Derek Welsman for making jokes about the sexual assault and forcible confinement trial of a gay man for which Mr. Welsman was serving as jury foreman. The jokes led to a request for a mistrial, which was denied.

When Corus fired Mr. Blundell, it announced The Edge would be returning to what it called "a more music-based format showcasing the best in modern rock." But as the station finds a new way, it continues to flounder. The latest ratings period (Nov. 25, 2013, to Feb. 23, 2014), the results of which were released Thursday by the Bureau of Broadast Measurement, give the station a market share of 2.8 per cent and a daily average audience of 337,000. That's down sharply from the previous quarter (Aug. 26 to Nov. 24, 2013) which had the station with a 3.8-per-cent market share and a daily average audience of 411,000. The prior quarter (May 27 to Aug. 25, 2013), the station boasted a 4.6-per-cent market share and a daily average audience of 447,500.

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