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Glastonbury shows exactly why I quit my job at the BBC
The Independent
|July 02, 2025
This weekend, if you wanted to watch Kneecap's Glastonbury performance live on the West Holts stage, you wouldn’t have found it on the BBC.
Instead, you’d have had to find Helen Wilson’s TikTok account, where the Welsh woman burnt her fingers holding her phone up in 30C heat to live-stream the entire set from her spot in the festival audience, knowing that our public broadcaster had decided not to. Thousands were watching.
The band was one of the festival’s most anticipated acts, with organisers warning prior that there would be a large crowd for their performance. The BBC announced it wouldn’t be broadcasting the set live on TV, but that edited highlights would be offered later, on iPlayer.
“Whilst the BBC doesn’t ban artists”, it said in a statement, “our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines.” This comes after band member Mo Chara was charged with a terrorist offence, for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a performance in 2024.
On the day, the BBC tried to play it safe, choosing to edit Kneecap’s performance for iPlayer. Surely this would shield it?
This story is from the July 02, 2025 edition of The Independent.
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