British television watchdog Ofcom has received more than 800 complaints related to provocative performances and attire at last weekend’s Brit Awards, with US pop star Sabrina Carpenter and multiple award-winner Charli XCX at the center of the backlash.
According to Sky News, Ofcom confirmed it had received 825 complaints about the event held at London’s O2 Arena. The majority of the complaints were directed at Carpenter’s daring opening medley and the revealing outfit worn by British singer Charli XCX.
Carpenter, 25, triggered a wave of outrage with her performance, which aired before the 9 p.m. watershed, when young audiences are still likely to be watching. She appeared in a red, military-inspired blazer dress, paired with matching stockings and suspenders, while performing her hit “Espresso.” Her performance included elements of “Rule Britannia,” with dancers in parade uniforms accompanying her on stage.
The controversy heightened as Carpenter switched to her second song, “Bed Chem,” changing into a sparkly red bra and shorts set. Surrounded by similarly dressed dancers, she struck suggestive poses on an oversized bed. One particularly criticized moment involved an intimate scene with a performer dressed as a soldier, complete with a traditional bearskin hat.
The timing of Carpenter’s performance, which took place before the 9 p.m. watershed, contributed to the uproar. The BBC confirmed that the ceremony started at 8:15 p.m. GMT and ended at 10:40 p.m., meaning Carpenter’s act was aired during family viewing hours.
Charli XCX, who won five awards, including album of the year for Brat, also sparked complaints for her see-through black dress. Addressing the wardrobe issue in her acceptance speech for artist of the year, she said: “I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples. I feel like we’re in the era of ‘free the nipple’ though, right?”
Despite the high number of complaints, an Ofcom spokesperson stated that they are still reviewing the grievances to determine whether to open a formal investigation, according to the BBC. The regulator also noted that, while this number of complaints is substantial, it falls far below their historical records. For comparison, the highest number of complaints ever received by Ofcom was 58,000 in 2021 after Piers Morgan’s comments about the Duchess of Sussex on Good Morning Britain.
Despite the controversy, both artists emerged victorious at the ceremony. Charli XCX took home multiple awards, including best dance act, songwriter of the year, and song of the year for “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish—making her the first non-British artist to win in this category. Carpenter, on the other hand, received the revived global success award, previously awarded to British artists like One Direction, Sam Smith, Adele, and Ed Sheeran.
This is not the first time the Brit Awards have sparked complaints. In 2020, Ofcom received 309 objections regarding rapper Dave’s performance, which was accused of being racist toward white people. The regulator ruled that his performance of “Black” was appropriate for the event. Similar complaints surrounded performances by Kendrick Lamar in 2018 (74 complaints) and Kanye West in 2015 (151 complaints), primarily about offensive language and content.
During her acceptance speech, Carpenter expressed her thanks to British audiences, saying: “The Brits have given me this award, and this feels like such an insane honour in a very primarily tea-drinking country… you really understood my dry sense of humour because your sense of humour is so, so dry. So I love y’all more than you even understand.”
