A promo for SNL UK has poked fun at the Kanye West Wireless Festival controversy.
The rapper, now known as Ye, was confirmed last week to be the headliner for all three nights of the London festival, and the gigs were advertised as a journey through his “most iconic records”.
The booking sparked widespread criticism due to Ye’s history of anti-Semitism, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that it was “deeply concerning” that the rapper had been booked despite his “celebration of Nazism”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also spoke out against the decision. It later emerged that Ye’s right to enter the UK was under government review, before it was confirmed on April 7 that he had been blocked from travelling to the UK by the government – leading to Wireless itself being cancelled.
An ad for SNL UK made light of the situation, opening with upcoming host Jack Whitehall looking at a pinboard with each week’s host and musical guests indicated on note cards. He looks at the row for April 25, which denote West as being both host and musical guest, before sighing and taking them down.
The rest of the promo involves a sketch where Whitehall only communicates through cue cards held by the show’s cast. Check it out below.
In the aftermath of Wireless’ cancellation, Festival Republic boss Melvin Benn has claimed that sponsor Pepsi originally approved and “signed off” on the decision to have Kanye West headline before pulling out over the weekend, alongside fellow sponsors Diageo, PayPal, and Rockstar energy.
Prior to the cancellation, Friends actor David Schwimmer took to social media to call for action, saying he believed West’s apologies for past anti-Semitism needed action to back them up. “I believe in forgiveness, but it takes much more than this” he said, while also branding the rapper a “hate-mongering bigot”.