Punk duo spark row with “death to IDF” chant at Glastonbury – British Airways pulls ads!

Bobby Vylan doubles down on controversial Glastonbury chant

Punk frontman Bobby Vylan, aka Pascal Robinson-Foster, made waves this summer after leading the crowd in shouting “death, death to the IDF” during their BBC livestream at Glastonbury Festival. Now, on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Vylan told Theroux he has zero regrets and would “do it again tomorrow.”

“I’m not regretful of it at all,” Vylan said. “I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays.” He added the backlash was “minimal” compared to what Palestinians face. “If that can be my contribution… and if my Palestinian friends say, ‘Your chant gave me a breath of fresh air,’ then that’s enough for me.”

British Airways pulls ads amid backlash

British Airways swiftly responded by pausing advertising on the podcast. A BA spokesperson told PA News: “Our sponsorship of the series has now been paused and the advert has been removed. We’re grateful this was brought to our attention as the content clearly breaches our sponsorship policy relating to politically sensitive or controversial subject matters.”

BA added they are investigating how the ad slipped through despite existing safeguards.

Band faces mounting cancellations and visa issues

Since the Glastonbury fallout, the punk duo has been dropped by several festivals including Radar and a German venue, while their US tour was scrapped after visa revocations. They recently postponed two UK gigs over “political pressure,” including a Manchester show, following calls from Jewish leaders and MPs to axe the concerts.

Despite controversy, fans rally behind Bobby Vylan

Despite the storms of criticism, Bobby Vylan’s fanbase is growing. Their album Humble As The Sun climbed back to Number 1 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B charts over summer. Plus, the duo just announced their We Won’t Go Quietly 2025 UK tour.

Louis Theroux has been contacted for comment.