The BBC has drawn criticism after airing and uploading footage of rapper Loyle Carner's performance at Reading Festival, during which he directed explicit criticism at Nigel Farage and expressed support for Palestine.
During his set on Sunday, Carner, one of the festival's highly anticipated acts, included the lines "f*** Nigel Farage and free Palestine." The remarks were met with cheers from the audience. A recording of the performance was subsequently made available on BBC iPlayer, with the corporation describing the set as "poignant" and "uplifting."
The BBC displayed two content warnings on the video for "strong" and "discriminatory" language, but did not offer specific commentary on the explicit reference to Mr. Farage.
This incident follows a similar controversy last year when the BBC issued an apology after livestreaming a performance by punk duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, which included chants of "Death to the IDF."
Viewers have expressed dissatisfaction online, with one X user stating, "We shouldn't be forced to pay money to this biased corporation simply because we want to watch live television. They must be forced to become an independent subscription broadcaster." Another commented, "BBC captioned this performance from Reading Festival as 'a poignant, uplifting set' Defund the BBC."
Carner has previously voiced criticism of Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK party. At Glastonbury last year, he stated, "F*** Nigel Farage, man, I'm sorry." He has also been critical of author J.K. Rowling, noting at Glastonbury, "This song is called Horcrux 'cause I love Harry Potter. But I don't really like JK Rowling, do you know what I mean?"
Born Benjamin Gerard Coyle-Larner in south London, Carner has received Mercury Prize nominations for two of his four studio albums. He has also been involved in raising awareness for issues such as male suicide and previously ran a cooking school for children with ADHD.
Carner has openly expressed his dislike for Reform UK, stating he "hates Nigel Farage" at the Brit Awards in February. He has also spoken about focusing on hope and generosity rather than negativity, particularly for those who feel "marginalised or oppressed or left behind."
In 2019, Carner wore a t-shirt reading "I Hate Boris" during a Glastonbury set, and in 2023, he used his platform at the festival to address knife crime in the UK.
Also performing at the festival over the weekend, Northern Irish group Kneecap reportedly called Prime Minister Andy Burnham "a w*****" for ruling out a referendum on a United Ireland. The band also stated "f*** Benjamin Netanyahu" while a Palestinian flag was displayed. Band member Mo Chara emphasized the importance of using their platform to express solidarity with Palestinians, drawing parallels to Irish history of "displacement, colonialism and forced starvation."
A BBC spokesperson stated that the broadcaster provided "extensive coverage of Reading Festival across the weekend, featuring performances from a wide range of artists," adding that the content aligns with editorial guidelines and audience expectations.