CMAT calls out body-shamers after negative comments on Big Weekend video
Irish singer-songwriter CMAT has hit out at body-shamers after the BBC disabled comments on a video of her performance at Radio 1's Big Weekend due to negative comments about her weight.
CMAT, who performed in Luton on Sunday alongside the likes of Coldplay and Raye, said the BBC turned off comments on the video "because so many people called me fat".
The video showed the country singer taking off her shirt during her set at Stockwood Park to reveal a more fitted, all-white look.
It was captioned: "CMAT always gives us a fashion moment", but body-shamers were quick to jump into the comments and post abusive comments.
Calling out the trolls, CMAT - whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson - wrote: "I didn't realise it was illegal to have a huge ass!"
Her thread on X continued: "I am guilty as charged. It is time to lock me up and throw away the key.
"By the way, I am an award-winning songwriter that has released two albums which were received to ‘universal acclaim’."
CMAT said a separate video, from the Brits ceremony, had also gone viral on TikTok in South America.
"Now people are calling me fat in Spanish," she added.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: “The BBC does not tolerate abuse and takes multiple steps to prevent it on our social media accounts. One of these is switching off comments as per our editorial guidelines.”
Fans were quick to defend the singer, describing her as "fabulous" and a "legend".
One wrote in response to CMAT's post on X: "I was at Big Weekend and you looked - and sounded - amazing."
The 28-year-old has risen to success in recent years, with her 2022 debut album If My Wife New I'd Be Dead, hitting number one in the Irish Albums Chart.
She was also nominated for best international artist at the Brit Awards in March.
The country pop singer also announced she will pull out of her performance at Latitude Festival due to the event's sponsor's Barclays.
Campaigners have condemned the bank for its investment in companies providing Israel with weapons during its war in Gaza.
More than 100 artists pulled out of Brighton's Great Escape Festival in May over the same issue.
CMAT said in an Instagram statement: "I made Latitude aware of what my decision would be weeks ago, but was hoping with all of the press surrounding the brave artists who pulled out of The Great Escape festival for the same reasons, that Latitude would divest from Barclays.
"This has not happened and it has been made clear to me that it will not happen.
"I will not allow my precious work, my music, which I love so much, to get into bed with violence."
In a statement, Barclays recognised the "profound human suffering" caused by the conflict.
Responding to accusations of investment in defence companies supplying Israel, it said: "We trade in shares of listed companies in response to client instruction or demand and that may result in us holding shares.
"We are not making investments for Barclays and Barclays is not a “shareholder” or “investor” in that sense in relation to these companies."
It added: "The defence sector overall is an important contributor to our security.
"As a bank, our job is to provide financial services to thousands of business clients and that includes those in the defence sector."
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