The Last Leg host Adam Hills has apologised following backlash to a World Cup parody song that aired on the show last week.
During the series return on Friday night, the comedian, alongside Jess Robinson, performed the parody song, which he labelled ‘Our Official World Cup Anthem for Qatar’ and sung to the tune of Three Lions.
The song touched on controversies relating to the World Cup being hosted in Qatar, including homosexuality being illegal, the alleged mistreatment of migrant workers, and David Beckham accepting a role as an ambassador for tourism to Qatar.
However people took issue the song, which included lines like: ‘But if in Qatar Alan Carr toured and was joined by Boy George and then even RuPaul, they could end up three heads on a spike.’
Soon after the song aired, opinions on it started flooding social media, with comments including, ‘I’m fully aware that it was done as a satirical barb…but it was still…absolutely gruesome’.
Another person wrote that it had ‘good intentions but [was] very poor taste’.
‘It takes the focus away from real issues,’ they said.
Another person said it was simply satire and was ‘pointing out the stupidity and horror of having the World Cup in Qatar’.
But responding directly to someone who took issue with the clip, Adam wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that he was ‘sorry’.
‘This song was intended to be a protest at the World Cup being held in Qatar where it is illegal to be gay. It was filmed and aired before the horrific shooting in America,’ he said.
Iâ€
m sorry. This song was intended to be a protest at the World Cup being held in Qatar where it is illegal to be gay. It was filmed and aired before the horrific shooting in America. — Adam Hills (@adamhillscomedy) November 23, 2022
Adam said when introducing the song on the episode: ‘With human rights abuses and medieval views on homosexuality, we think it’s time to celebrate what Qatar is really about’.
A choir started the song off with the lyrics: ‘It’s (be)coming home-ophobic’.
At the same time, other panel members were standing behind them with rainbow flags, while the choir had them draped around their shoulders.
Members of the audience also had flags and were waving them throughout the song.
‘Everyone seems to know the score, but we just can’t ignore dead workers on the floor,’ it continued.
‘Cos FIFA went it and gave it away to whoever will pay, its too bad if you’re gay. Because we all know that Steven can’t kiss Mike, meanwhile Beckham’s grinning.’
The song went on to speak about how in Qatar they ‘say that gay is sinning’ and that they would ‘jail you if you’re queer’, and that we’ve ‘known it for 12 years’.
The song came after a stunt by comedian Joe Lycett where he ‘shredded’ £10,000 urging Beckham to step down from being an ambassador to Qatar.
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