Sam Smith’s raunchy Brit Awards performance pushes whining bigots to complain to Ofcom
Ofcom received 106 complaints over the 2023 Brit Awards, and most concerned Sam Smith’s “Unholy” performance. (Getty)
Ofcom received over 106 complaints over the 2023 Brit Awards with most of the complaints concerning Sam Smith’s risque performance.
The award ceremony came under fire from some whiny viewers for Smith’s raunchy rendition of “Unholy” with Kim Petras.
Smith and Petras took to the stage in black and leather outfits, backed by a host of dancers on an industrial set made to look like a shadowy garage. Petras made her entrance for her verse rolling into view on a mechanic’s trolley, and sparks reigned down around the singers.
Many viewers were left in awe after the performance, and there was a positive reaction on social media. But others felt the need to pick it apart and complain to Ofcom, the regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries.
The Brit Awards drew 106 complaints from viewers to Ofcom, and the majority concerned the performance put on by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, according to Metro.co.uk.
It’s unclear what exactly the “Unholy” performance sparked the mass of complaints.
The remainder of the complaints dealt with the offensive language used during the ceremony and the amount of alcohol consumed at the event.
Smith and Petras’ Brits appearance followed their performance at the Grammys in the US, which saw right-wing commentators brand the pair’s rendition as “demonic”.
Sam Smith was reportedly ‘furious’ ahead of their Brit Awards performance after it had to be delayed and almost abandoned entirely because of technical issues.
A source told The Sun that Smith’s performance “might have appeared seamless but behind the scenes it was a nightmare”.
“The whole set was built and ready to go but then a malfunction meant it had to be pulled off,” the source said. “Stormzy was moved forward, and Sam was told there was a possibility their performance might be pulled altogether.”
They added: “Sam was understandably furious and it was pretty tense backstage.”
Smith was “pleased with how the performance went in the end but the stress beforehand took the shine off the night completely”, a different source told The Sun.
They described how Smith “made a quick exit from the ceremony and didn’t bother going to celebrate” at parties because of how “stressful” the evening was.
