The BBC has faced criticism after broadcasting footage of rapper Loyle Carner appearing to say “f*** Nigel Farage and free Palestine” during his performance at Reading Festival.
The line, delivered to cheers from the crowd at the festival in Berkshire on Sunday 30 August, was included in a recording later made available on BBC iPlayer.
The corporation described the performance as “a poignant, uplifting set from the twice-Mercury-nominated British rapper”. The footage carried warnings for “strong” and “discriminatory” language, but did not specifically refer to the comment about the Reform UK leader.
Carner, 31, was performing on the main stage at Reading Festival, where he was among the acts appearing on the final day of the event. The festival’s official line-up lists him among the performers on The Grid stage.
During the moment in question, the rapper delivered the line before laughing and covering his mouth. The crowd responded enthusiastically.
Some viewers criticised the BBC’s decision to include the footage and its description of the set. One post on X said licence-fee payers “shouldn’t be forced to pay money to this biased corporation”, while another called for the BBC to be defunded.
The controversy follows criticism of the BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury last year, when it livestreamed a performance by punk duo Bob Vylan during which chants referring to the Israel Defence Forces were heard. The corporation subsequently apologised over the broadcast.
A BBC source said the Reading Festival material was in line with the corporation’s editorial guidelines and audience expectations. The BBC has also provided extensive coverage of the festival across television, iPlayer, radio and digital platforms.
Loyle Carner’s previous criticism of Nigel Farage
Carner has previously used festival and awards appearances to criticise Mr Farage and other political figures.
At Glastonbury last year, he told the audience: “F*** Nigel Farage, man, I’m sorry.” He also referred to Harry Potter author JK Rowling while introducing his song Horcrux, saying: “This song is called Horcrux ’cause I love Harry Potter. But I don’t really like JK Rowling, do you know what I mean?”
At the Brit Awards in February, Carner said he “hates Nigel Farage”, but added that he wanted to focus on hope and generosity towards people who felt marginalised or left behind.
“Because there’s enough s*** on the news that’s making me feel sad,” he said.
Born Benjamin Gerard Coyle-Larner in Lambeth, south London, Carner has released four studio albums, two of which have been nominated for the Mercury Prize. He has also campaigned on issues including male suicide and previously ran a cooking school for children with ADHD.
