BBC News – Entertainment & Arts RSS Feed – World News

Football audiences don’t want to hear Gary Neville discuss politics, Rishi Sunak has said after the ex-England footballer attacked the UK government.

Speaking on ITV ahead of the World Cup final, Mr Neville criticised Qatari working conditions as “abhorrent”.

He said such conditions should not be accepted in Qatar or any region and then accused UK ministers of “demonising” rail workers and nurses.

And he said UK nurses – who are taking strike action – were paid a “pittance”.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the prime minister argued that as chancellor he had exempted NHS workers from a public sector pay freeze.

Responding to Mr Neville’s comments he said: “I think when most people are tuning in to watch Gary Neville they want to hear about the football and watch the football. They don’t want to discuss politics.”

Qatar has come under scrutiny for its treatment of the tens and thousands of migrant workers employed to build the stadiums and hotels ahead of the World Cup.

Asked about the country’s treatment of workers, Mr Neville said: “It’s abhorrent and we should detest low pay, detest low pay, poor accommodation and poor working conditions.

“That is something we can never ever accept in this region or in any region.

“It is just worth mentioning that we’ve got a current government in our country, who are demonising rail workers, ambulance workers and terrifyingly, nurses.

“So in our country, we’ve got to look at workers’ rights but certainly where football goes now, we have to pick up on workers’ rights wherever we go because people have to be equally treated.

“We can’t have people being paid a pittance to work, we can’t have people in accommodation which is unsavoury and disgusting, we can’t have that. It shouldn’t happen with the wealth that exists and it shouldn’t happen in our country that our nurses are having to fight for an extra pound or two pounds.”

His comments attracted criticism from some MPs, with senior Conservative Simon Clarke tweeting: “It is beyond ridiculous that Gary Neville is given free rein by ITV Sport to overtly politicise a major sporting event.

“Quite apart from the fact every nurse is receiving a pay rise of £1400, to compare workers’ rights in Qatar with the UK is grotesque.”

Another Conservative MP, Lee Anderson, described Mr Neville’s comments as a “party political broadcast by a millionaire”.

“Looks like ITV is on my banned list now – talk about football Gary and keep your nose out of politics. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Hitting back on Twitter, Mr Neville described the Conservatives as “the biggest set of charlatans to ever be in power”.

Asked about Mr Neville’s comments during the ITV broadcast, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It is clearly not a legitimate or appropriate comparison in any way.”

Labour MP Rushanara Ali also questioned the comparison, telling the BBC’s Politics Live: “These are very different societies and countries.”

An ITV spokesman said: “Gary Neville was expressing his own personal views in the context of a discussion about treatment of workers in Qatar within a live broadcast. His views are his own and were not endorsed by ITV.”

Media regulator Ofcom confirmed it had received complaints on the subject but had not yet decided whether or not to investigate.

In recent years, Mr Neville has become an outspoken critic of the Conservative government, describing former Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a “calamity”.

He has also joined Labour and appeared at the party’s recent annual conference, but has ruled out becoming a politician himself.

During the World Cup, in addition to providing punditry for ITV, Mr Neville has also worked for Qatari broadcaster beIN – a decision which has attracted criticism.

Defending the move on the BBC’s Have I Got News For You programme, he said: “You’ve got a choice – my view has been, you can highlight the issues and challenges in these countries and speak out about them, or basically you don’t say anything and don’t go.”

Football audiences don’t want to hear Gary Neville discuss politics, Rishi Sunak has said after the ex-England footballer attacked the UK government.

Speaking on ITV ahead of the World Cup final, Mr Neville criticised Qatari working conditions as “abhorrent”.

He said such conditions should not be accepted in Qatar or any region and then accused UK ministers of “demonising” rail workers and nurses.

And he said UK nurses – who are taking strike action – were paid a “pittance”.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the prime minister argued that as chancellor he had exempted NHS workers from a public sector pay freeze.

Responding to Mr Neville’s comments he said: “I think when most people are tuning in to watch Gary Neville they want to hear about the football and watch the football. They don’t want to discuss politics.”

Qatar has come under scrutiny for its treatment of the tens and thousands of migrant workers employed to build the stadiums and hotels ahead of the World Cup.

Asked about the country’s treatment of workers, Mr Neville said: “It’s abhorrent and we should detest low pay, detest low pay, poor accommodation and poor working conditions.

“That is something we can never ever accept in this region or in any region.

“It is just worth mentioning that we’ve got a current government in our country, who are demonising rail workers, ambulance workers and terrifyingly, nurses.

“So in our country, we’ve got to look at workers’ rights but certainly where football goes now, we have to pick up on workers’ rights wherever we go because people have to be equally treated.

“We can’t have people being paid a pittance to work, we can’t have people in accommodation which is unsavoury and disgusting, we can’t have that. It shouldn’t happen with the wealth that exists and it shouldn’t happen in our country that our nurses are having to fight for an extra pound or two pounds.”

His comments attracted criticism from some MPs, with senior Conservative Simon Clarke tweeting: “It is beyond ridiculous that Gary Neville is given free rein by ITV Sport to overtly politicise a major sporting event.

“Quite apart from the fact every nurse is receiving a pay rise of £1400, to compare workers’ rights in Qatar with the UK is grotesque.”

Another Conservative MP, Lee Anderson, described Mr Neville’s comments as a “party political broadcast by a millionaire”.

“Looks like ITV is on my banned list now – talk about football Gary and keep your nose out of politics. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Hitting back on Twitter, Mr Neville described the Conservatives as “the biggest set of charlatans to ever be in power”.

Asked about Mr Neville’s comments during the ITV broadcast, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “It is clearly not a legitimate or appropriate comparison in any way.”

Labour MP Rushanara Ali also questioned the comparison, telling the BBC’s Politics Live: “These are very different societies and countries.”

An ITV spokesman said: “Gary Neville was expressing his own personal views in the context of a discussion about treatment of workers in Qatar within a live broadcast. His views are his own and were not endorsed by ITV.”

Media regulator Ofcom confirmed it had received complaints on the subject but had not yet decided whether or not to investigate.

In recent years, Mr Neville has become an outspoken critic of the Conservative government, describing former Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a “calamity”.

He has also joined Labour and appeared at the party’s recent annual conference, but has ruled out becoming a politician himself.

During the World Cup, in addition to providing punditry for ITV, Mr Neville has also worked for Qatari broadcaster beIN – a decision which has attracted criticism.

Defending the move on the BBC’s Have I Got News For You programme, he said: “You’ve got a choice – my view has been, you can highlight the issues and challenges in these countries and speak out about them, or basically you don’t say anything and don’t go.”

Winning Strictly Come Dancing “is the best thing that has ever happened to me”, presenter Hamza Yassin has said.

The Animal Park, Let’s Go For A Walk and Countryfile host had never had any dance lessons before taking part, but soon became the bookmakers’ favourite.

“Words can’t describe how I feel” said Hamza, who thanked his dance partner Jowita Przystal and the viewers who voted for them.

He beat Molly Rainford, Fleur East and Helen Skelton to the coveted prize.

The 32-year-old was known for his daring lifts during series 20 and ended it by lifting the glitterball trophy in Saturday’s live final on BBC One.

After the three advisory scores were given by the judges, Yassin and Przystal were bottom on 113 points. But it was the public vote that decided who took the title for 2022.

Hamza said: “I want to thank one person in particular. Jowita – you are an angel disguised in a human being.”

As usual, one of the three dances in the grand final was chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.

Hamza and Jowita did a salsa to Ecuador by Sash! featuring Rodriguez, a couple’s choice to Jerusalema by Master KG, and a show dance to Let’s Face The Music And Dance by Irving Berlin.

Other highlights included Helen doing a jive to Tightrope by Janelle Monae, Molly dancing her quickstep to Love On Top by Beyonce, and Fleur performing her couple’s choice dance to a Destiny’s Child megamix.

None of the professional dancers in this year’s final had won Strictly before. Vito Coppola and Carlos Gu, who partnered Fleur and Molly respectively, were new to the show.

Jowita was paired with Hamza, her first Strictly partnership since joining the show in 2021, not including last year’s Christmas special when she danced with Adrian Chiles.

Gorka Marquez, who was with Helen, has made the final before but never won.

The final four couples made it through from last week’s semi-final, which saw actor Will Mellor and his partner Nancy Xu eliminated.

They were separated by six points after the judges’ gave scores for guidance. East and Coppola were top of the leaderboard on 119 points, followed by Skelton and Marquez on 116 points, and Rainford and Gu on 115 – two points ahead of Yassin and Przystal.

This year’s Strictly has suffered some schedule changes due to the football World Cup taking place in Qatar, but Saturday’s show kicked as planned.

Molly Rainford was this year’s youngest contestant and recently celebrated her 22nd birthday. She first found fame as a child when she auditioned as a singer on Britain’s Got Talent and ended up coming sixth in the final.

She currently stars in the CBBC series Nova Jones. Molly’s been in the dreaded dance-off four times in this Strictly series, but she keeps bouncing back. Her stunning Paso Doble in the semi-final was rewarded with a score of 39 out of 40.

Singer and radio presenter Fleur East had her fair show of dance-off showdowns, but has hung in there and earned high praise from the judges.

She and Vito provided one of this series’ highlights when they managed to get Craig Revel Horwood to bring out his 10 paddle for the first time this series in honour of her Beyoncé-style couple’s choice routine in Blackpool. She ended up with the perfect score, 40 out of 40.

TV presenter Helen Skelton quietly and determinedly fought her way to the final.

The audience gave Craig the biggest boos of the season – and that’s saying something – when he only gave her nine out of 10 for her couple’s choice dance two weeks ago. Her Cabaret-style performance was given top marks by Shirley Ballas, Anton du Beke and Motsi Mabuse, however.

Wildlife camera operator and presenter Hamza Yassin became known for his daring lifts with Jowita.

His African-inspired couple’s choice dance last month reduced Motsi to tears (in a good way). He had never danced formally or had any lessons before taking part in the show.

This series – the BBC show’s 20th – began in September with 15 celebrities in the running including singer Matt Goss, actress Kym Marsh and Paralympian Ellie Simmonds.

Marsh missed one week due to contracting Covid-19, while football star Tony Adams had to withdraw due to injury ahead of a dance-off earlier in the series.

Du Beke formally took Bruno Tonioli’s seat at the judges’ desk after the Italian left the show to concentrate on its equivalent in the US, Dancing with the Stars.

Winning Strictly Come Dancing “is the best thing that has ever happened to me”, presenter Hamza Yassin has said.

The Animal Park, Let’s Go For A Walk and Countryfile host had never had any dance lessons before taking part, but soon became the bookmakers’ favourite.

“Words can’t describe how I feel” said Hamza, who thanked his dance partner Jowita Przystal and the viewers who voted for them.

He beat Molly Rainford, Fleur East and Helen Skelton to the coveted prize.

The 32-year-old was known for his daring lifts during series 20 and ended it by lifting the glitterball trophy in Saturday’s live final on BBC One.

After the three advisory scores were given by the judges, Yassin and Przystal were bottom on 113 points. But it was the public vote that decided who took the title for 2022.

Hamza said: “I want to thank one person in particular. Jowita – you are an angel disguised in a human being.”

As usual, one of the three dances in the grand final was chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.

Hamza and Jowita did a salsa to Ecuador by Sash! featuring Rodriguez, a couple’s choice to Jerusalema by Master KG, and a show dance to Let’s Face The Music And Dance by Irving Berlin.

Other highlights included Helen doing a jive to Tightrope by Janelle Monae, Molly dancing her quickstep to Love On Top by Beyonce, and Fleur performing her couple’s choice dance to a Destiny’s Child megamix.

None of the professional dancers in this year’s final had won Strictly before. Vito Coppola and Carlos Gu, who partnered Fleur and Molly respectively, were new to the show.

Jowita was paired with Hamza, her first Strictly partnership since joining the show in 2021, not including last year’s Christmas special when she danced with Adrian Chiles.

Gorka Marquez, who was with Helen, has made the final before but never won.

The final four couples made it through from last week’s semi-final, which saw actor Will Mellor and his partner Nancy Xu eliminated.

They were separated by six points after the judges’ gave scores for guidance. East and Coppola were top of the leaderboard on 119 points, followed by Skelton and Marquez on 116 points, and Rainford and Gu on 115 – two points ahead of Yassin and Przystal.

This year’s Strictly has suffered some schedule changes due to the football World Cup taking place in Qatar, but Saturday’s show kicked as planned.

Molly Rainford was this year’s youngest contestant and recently celebrated her 22nd birthday. She first found fame as a child when she auditioned as a singer on Britain’s Got Talent and ended up coming sixth in the final.

She currently stars in the CBBC series Nova Jones. Molly’s been in the dreaded dance-off four times in this Strictly series, but she keeps bouncing back. Her stunning Paso Doble in the semi-final was rewarded with a score of 39 out of 40.

Singer and radio presenter Fleur East had her fair show of dance-off showdowns, but has hung in there and earned high praise from the judges.

She and Vito provided one of this series’ highlights when they managed to get Craig Revel Horwood to bring out his 10 paddle for the first time this series in honour of her Beyoncé-style couple’s choice routine in Blackpool. She ended up with the perfect score, 40 out of 40.

TV presenter Helen Skelton quietly and determinedly fought her way to the final.

The audience gave Craig the biggest boos of the season – and that’s saying something – when he only gave her nine out of 10 for her couple’s choice dance two weeks ago. Her Cabaret-style performance was given top marks by Shirley Ballas, Anton du Beke and Motsi Mabuse, however.

Wildlife camera operator and presenter Hamza Yassin became known for his daring lifts with Jowita.

His African-inspired couple’s choice dance last month reduced Motsi to tears (in a good way). He had never danced formally or had any lessons before taking part in the show.

This series – the BBC show’s 20th – began in September with 15 celebrities in the running including singer Matt Goss, actress Kym Marsh and Paralympian Ellie Simmonds.

Marsh missed one week due to contracting Covid-19, while football star Tony Adams had to withdraw due to injury ahead of a dance-off earlier in the series.

Du Beke formally took Bruno Tonioli’s seat at the judges’ desk after the Italian left the show to concentrate on its equivalent in the US, Dancing with the Stars.

Winning Strictly Come Dancing “is the best thing that has ever happened to me”, presenter Hamza Yassin has said.

The Animal Park, Let’s Go For A Walk and Countryfile host had never had any dance lessons before taking part, but soon became the bookmakers’ favourite.

“Words can’t describe how I feel” said Hamza, who thanked his dance partner Jowita Przystal and the viewers who voted for them.

He beat Molly Rainford, Fleur East and Helen Skelton to the coveted prize.

The 32-year-old was known for his daring lifts during series 20 and ended it by lifting the glitterball trophy in Saturday’s live final on BBC One.

After the three advisory scores were given by the judges, Yassin and Przystal were bottom on 113 points. But it was the public vote that decided who took the title for 2022.

Hamza said: “I want to thank one person in particular. Jowita – you are an angel disguised in a human being.”

As usual, one of the three dances in the grand final was chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.

Hamza and Jowita did a salsa to Ecuador by Sash! featuring Rodriguez, a couple’s choice to Jerusalema by Master KG, and a show dance to Let’s Face The Music And Dance by Irving Berlin.

Other highlights included Helen doing a jive to Tightrope by Janelle Monae, Molly dancing her quickstep to Love On Top by Beyonce, and Fleur performing her couple’s choice dance to a Destiny’s Child megamix.

None of the professional dancers in this year’s final had won Strictly before. Vito Coppola and Carlos Gu, who partnered Fleur and Molly respectively, were new to the show.

Jowita was paired with Hamza, her first Strictly partnership since joining the show in 2021, not including last year’s Christmas special when she danced with Adrian Chiles.

Gorka Marquez, who was with Helen, has made the final before but never won.

The final four couples made it through from last week’s semi-final, which saw actor Will Mellor and his partner Nancy Xu eliminated.

They were separated by six points after the judges’ gave scores for guidance. East and Coppola were top of the leaderboard on 119 points, followed by Skelton and Marquez on 116 points, and Rainford and Gu on 115 – two points ahead of Yassin and Przystal.

This year’s Strictly has suffered some schedule changes due to the football World Cup taking place in Qatar, but Saturday’s show kicked as planned.

Molly Rainford was this year’s youngest contestant and recently celebrated her 22nd birthday. She first found fame as a child when she auditioned as a singer on Britain’s Got Talent and ended up coming sixth in the final.

She currently stars in the CBBC series Nova Jones. Molly’s been in the dreaded dance-off four times in this Strictly series, but she keeps bouncing back. Her stunning Paso Doble in the semi-final was rewarded with a score of 39 out of 40.

Singer and radio presenter Fleur East had her fair show of dance-off showdowns, but has hung in there and earned high praise from the judges.

She and Vito provided one of this series’ highlights when they managed to get Craig Revel Horwood to bring out his 10 paddle for the first time this series in honour of her Beyoncé-style couple’s choice routine in Blackpool. She ended up with the perfect score, 40 out of 40.

TV presenter Helen Skelton quietly and determinedly fought her way to the final.

The audience gave Craig the biggest boos of the season – and that’s saying something – when he only gave her nine out of 10 for her couple’s choice dance two weeks ago. Her Cabaret-style performance was given top marks by Shirley Ballas, Anton du Beke and Motsi Mabuse, however.

Wildlife camera operator and presenter Hamza Yassin became known for his daring lifts with Jowita.

His African-inspired couple’s choice dance last month reduced Motsi to tears (in a good way). He had never danced formally or had any lessons before taking part in the show.

This series – the BBC show’s 20th – began in September with 15 celebrities in the running including singer Matt Goss, actress Kym Marsh and Paralympian Ellie Simmonds.

Marsh missed one week due to contracting Covid-19, while football star Tony Adams had to withdraw due to injury ahead of a dance-off earlier in the series.

Du Beke formally took Bruno Tonioli’s seat at the judges’ desk after the Italian left the show to concentrate on its equivalent in the US, Dancing with the Stars.

Winning Strictly Come Dancing “is the best thing that has ever happened to me”, presenter Hamza Yassin has said.

The Animal Park, Let’s Go For A Walk and Countryfile host had never had any dance lessons before taking part, but soon became the bookmakers’ favourite.

“Words can’t describe how I feel” said Hamza, who thanked his dance partner Jowita Przystal and the viewers who voted for them.

He beat Molly Rainford, Fleur East and Helen Skelton to the coveted prize.

The 32-year-old was known for his daring lifts during series 20 and ended it by lifting the glitterball trophy in Saturday’s live final on BBC One.

After the three advisory scores were given by the judges, Yassin and Przystal were bottom on 113 points. But it was the public vote that decided who took the title for 2022.

Hamza said: “I want to thank one person in particular. Jowita – you are an angel disguised in a human being.”

As usual, one of the three dances in the grand final was chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.

Hamza and Jowita did a salsa to Ecuador by Sash! featuring Rodriguez, a couple’s choice to Jerusalema by Master KG, and a show dance to Let’s Face The Music And Dance by Irving Berlin.

Other highlights included Helen doing a jive to Tightrope by Janelle Monae, Molly dancing her quickstep to Love On Top by Beyonce, and Fleur performing her couple’s choice dance to a Destiny’s Child megamix.

None of the professional dancers in this year’s final had won Strictly before. Vito Coppola and Carlos Gu, who partnered Fleur and Molly respectively, were new to the show.

Jowita was paired with Hamza, her first Strictly partnership since joining the show in 2021, not including last year’s Christmas special when she danced with Adrian Chiles.

Gorka Marquez, who was with Helen, has made the final before but never won.

The final four couples made it through from last week’s semi-final, which saw actor Will Mellor and his partner Nancy Xu eliminated.

They were separated by six points after the judges’ gave scores for guidance. East and Coppola were top of the leaderboard on 119 points, followed by Skelton and Marquez on 116 points, and Rainford and Gu on 115 – two points ahead of Yassin and Przystal.

This year’s Strictly has suffered some schedule changes due to the football World Cup taking place in Qatar, but Saturday’s show kicked as planned.

Molly Rainford was this year’s youngest contestant and recently celebrated her 22nd birthday. She first found fame as a child when she auditioned as a singer on Britain’s Got Talent and ended up coming sixth in the final.

She currently stars in the CBBC series Nova Jones. Molly’s been in the dreaded dance-off four times in this Strictly series, but she keeps bouncing back. Her stunning Paso Doble in the semi-final was rewarded with a score of 39 out of 40.

Singer and radio presenter Fleur East had her fair show of dance-off showdowns, but has hung in there and earned high praise from the judges.

She and Vito provided one of this series’ highlights when they managed to get Craig Revel Horwood to bring out his 10 paddle for the first time this series in honour of her Beyoncé-style couple’s choice routine in Blackpool. She ended up with the perfect score, 40 out of 40.

TV presenter Helen Skelton quietly and determinedly fought her way to the final.

The audience gave Craig the biggest boos of the season – and that’s saying something – when he only gave her nine out of 10 for her couple’s choice dance two weeks ago. Her Cabaret-style performance was given top marks by Shirley Ballas, Anton du Beke and Motsi Mabuse, however.

Wildlife camera operator and presenter Hamza Yassin became known for his daring lifts with Jowita.

His African-inspired couple’s choice dance last month reduced Motsi to tears (in a good way). He had never danced formally or had any lessons before taking part in the show.

This series – the BBC show’s 20th – began in September with 15 celebrities in the running including singer Matt Goss, actress Kym Marsh and Paralympian Ellie Simmonds.

Marsh missed one week due to contracting Covid-19, while football star Tony Adams had to withdraw due to injury ahead of a dance-off earlier in the series.

Du Beke formally took Bruno Tonioli’s seat at the judges’ desk after the Italian left the show to concentrate on its equivalent in the US, Dancing with the Stars.

A woman has died after being injured in a crush at a gig at London’s Brixton O2 Academy that left several others hurt.

The concert, by Afro-pop singer Asake, had to be abandoned part-way through after a “large number of people” tried to force their way inside on Thursday, the Met Police said.

Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from Newham, east London, died in hospital on Saturday morning, the Met said.

Two other women aged 21 and 23 remain in a critical condition, police added.

The O2 Academy Brixton said it was “deeply saddened” to hear Ms Ikumelo had died.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote in a tweet he was “heartbroken” by Ms Ikumelo’s death.

He said it was “vital that the investigation into what happened concludes as soon as possible” and added that City Hall was working with authorities “to ensure nothing like this happens again”.

Videos on social media showed the crowd stretching from the road outside to the venue’s doors.

Speaking at the scene on Friday, Ch Supt Colin Wingrove said: “I’d like to extend my sympathies to all those who have been affected.

“Having seen some of the really upsetting images on social media our thoughts are with them,” he added.

The force said more than 4,000 people were in attendance at the gig and it has set up a website for people to submit relevant photos and videos.

In a statement outside Brixton police station on Friday afternoon, Cdr Colin Wingrove said officers were called by staff at the venue “following reports that a large number of people were attempting to force entry”.

He added: “Some officers provided first aid and CPR to members of the public in order to save life.”

Florence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall whose constituency includes Brixton, tweeted on Saturday: “I visited the site this morning and I’ve been dreading this news ever since the incident and hoping it would never never come.

“My thoughts and prayers to Rebecca Ikumelo’s family and friends. Such a tragic loss of a young 33yr with so much life ahead of her.”

The first officers were reported to be on the scene at 21:11 GMT, seven minutes after they were called.

The concert was the final performance of three sold-out shows at the venue by Nigerian singer Asake, sometimes known as Mr Money.

Before the gig, he had posted on Twitter asking fans not to try to gain entry unless they had tickets.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]

Three people remain in a critical condition after being injured in a crush at a gig at the Brixton O2 Academy that left several hurt.

Police were called on Thursday night to the show at the south London venue by Afro-pop singer Asake which was abandoned part-way through.

The Met said a “large number of people” had tried to force their way inside.

One of the crush victims said: “I couldn’t breathe and I completely passed out. I thought I was dead.”

The woman, who was taken to hospital with suspected internal bleeding, said: “I took my last breath and I could not get any more oxygen. I was so scared.”

The Met Police said more than 4,000 people were in attendance at the venue. In footage on social media, the crowd can be seen stretching from the road outside to the venue’s doors, with people screaming, shouting and struggling.

In a statement outside Brixton police station on Friday afternoon, Cdr Colin Wingrove said officers were called to the scene by Academy staff at about 21:30 GMT, “following reports that a large number of people were attempting to force entry to the venue”.

He added: “Some officers provided first aid and CPR to members of the public in order to save life.”

One person has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, and Cdr Wingrove said that an incident in which an officer was “apparently seen to push a member of the public” was under review by the force’s directorate of professional standards.

It is also to review footage from cameras worn by officers at the scene.

Earlier, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan tweeted to say he was “heartbroken”, adding: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the awful incident at Brixton Academy.”

The concert was the third of three sold-out shows at the venue by Nigerian singer Asake, sometimes known as Mr Money. Before the gig, he had posted on Twitter asking fans not to try to gain entry unless they had tickets.

In a statement on his Instagram account, Asake said: “My heart is with those who were injured last night and caused any form of discomfort. I pray you get well soonest.”

The woman who passed out at the venue spoke to press agency UKNIP after being discharged from hospital. She said: “I was trying to get up, people were stepping on my head, all over me. I had more than 10 people on top of me.

“A man pulled me out so when I woke up I was in the back of the ambulance.”

The woman, from Battersea in south London, suffered skinned knees and a black eye. “I’m just grateful that I’ve come away with no broken bones; they thought I had internal bleeding but thank God they did a CT scan and I’m good.”

Akin Oluwaleimu, 53, from Kirby Cross near Colchester, went to the gig with his daughter Elsie, 14, but decided to return home after things turned “rowdy” outside with “a lot of pushing”.

“We didn’t get inside. When we were leaving we were told the show had been stopped.

“Two ladies fainted and were carried up high away… I was not worried about myself but I was worried about my daughter’s safety.”

Another witness, Jay Taylor, 24, from Greenwich in south-east London, described how a minority of apparently ticketless fans tried to force their way into the venue.

She said: “People were literally jumping on each other and even on to the police.”

Serious crushes at British gigs are very rare.

In 1974, a 14-year-old David Cassidy fan died at the pop singer’s concert at the White City Stadium in west London, with another 700 people injured.

At the Monsters of Rock festival in 1988, two people lost their lives in a crowd surge when Guns N’ Roses played at a muddy Castle Donington in Leicestershire.

Earlier this year, the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena – where next year’s Eurovision Song Contest will be held – launched an investigation after fans complained of overcrowding at a concert by local hero Jamie Webster, although no injuries were reported.

It has become common for artists to pause their shows if they suspect there may be a problem in the crowd, with heightened awareness of such dangers in the wake of the tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival, in Texas in November 2021, in which 10 people died.

Asake, whose real name is Ahmed Ololade, was nominated for BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2023 award.

He had been described on the venue’s website as “one of the hottest breakout stars from Nigeria” and is touring his debut album, Mr. Money with the Vibe.

Born and raised in Lagos State, his songs are part of the Nigerian street-pop subgenre that blends Afrobeats with Amapiano, pop melodies and street-smart rap lyrics.

He had a breakout hit in 2020 with his single Lady.

Were you at the concert or in the area? If you’d like to get in touch you can email: [email protected].

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]

Actor Henry Cavill has been dropped as Superman by the new bosses of DC Studios, less than two months after he announced his return to the role.

“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” Cavill said.

“After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.”

He said there were no hard feelings.

“The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that,” he continued, in his Instagram post.

“James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”

Gunn and Safran took over DC Studios in late October, just after Cavill made a surprise appearance as the Man of Steel during the credits of the Dwayne Johnson film Black Adam.

The British actor then posted a video telling fans: “I wanted to make it official, that I am back as Superman.” The Black Adam cameo was “just a very small taste of things to come”, he added.

Cavill played the legendary role in the 2013 Man Of Steel film, as well as in 2016’s Batman v Superman alongside Ben Affleck, and in Justice League the following year.

Following the announcement, some fans have been speculating that the actor is now available to take on the role of James Bond – should the casting director come calling.

Cavill, 39, also announced his departure from Netflix’s The Witcher in late October. He will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth.

On Wednesday, Gunn wrote on Twitter: “Peter and I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year.

“Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.”

He added: “But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”

Actor Henry Cavill has been dropped as Superman by the new bosses of DC Studios, less than two months after he announced his return to the role.

“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” Cavill said.

“After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life.”

He said there were no hard feelings.

“The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that,” he continued, in his Instagram post.

“James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes.”

Gunn and Safran took over DC Studios in late October, just after Cavill made a surprise appearance as the Man of Steel during the credits of the Dwayne Johnson film Black Adam.

The British actor then posted a video telling fans: “I wanted to make it official, that I am back as Superman.” The Black Adam cameo was “just a very small taste of things to come”, he added.

Cavill played the legendary role in the 2013 Man Of Steel film, as well as in 2016’s Batman v Superman alongside Ben Affleck, and in Justice League the following year.

Following the announcement, some fans have been speculating that the actor is now available to take on the role of James Bond – should the casting director come calling.

Cavill, 39, also announced his departure from Netflix’s The Witcher in late October. He will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth.

On Wednesday, Gunn wrote on Twitter: “Peter and I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year.

“Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.”

He added: “But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”

Stephen Bear’s ‘revenge porn’ conviction could set the benchmark for further prosecutions say campaigners.

The former reality TV star was found guilty of sharing private sexual pictures and videos with intent to cause distress on Tuesday.

Kate Isaacs, who founded the charity Not Your Porn, described his victim, Georgia Harrison, as “resilient and brave”.

She added that his conviction would be “setting a precedent”.

Ms Isaacs told the BBC that prosecuting these types of cases often proves very difficult.

She created the campaign group after a close friend became a victim of so-called revenge porn when a video of her having sex ended up on the PornHub website.

Ms Isaacs advised Harrison and her family when they started taking steps to prosecute Bear.

Harrison had the right to remain anonymous as a victim of sexual abuse, but says she waived this to raise awareness of the effect ‘revenge porn’ can have.

Having met Bear on a reality TV show, they had maintained an on-and-off relationship and had met up in August 2020.

It was there that the pair were captured having sex in his garden on CCTV, with Bear later sending it to a friend on WhatsApp without Harrison’s permission.

Several months later he uploaded the video to subscription site OnlyFans, again without her knowing – when she found out it was on there, she told the police.

“This is incredibly high profile and with the audience that Stephen Bear and Georgia Harrison have, I think this is even more impactful,” Ms Isaacs said.

Bear has appeared on shows like Ex On The Beach and Celebrity Big Brother, while Harrison found fame on Love Island and The Only Way is Essex.

They both have several million social media followers between them.

“The fact she went public with this after someone had put her on the internet in a capacity that she didn’t consent to, for her to then come out and speak out against it – that bravery is just unmatched,” Ms Isaacs added.

Harrison said after the verdict that she hoped to give others “the courage to seek justice”.

She added that she felt “ashamed, hurt, violated, even broken at times” but now was “empowered” and “grateful” after Bear’s conviction.

‘Revenge porn’, which is also called non-consensual pornography or image-based sexual abuse, was made illegal in 2015.

An amendment to the law was created in 2021, which also made threatening to release private sexual images and films an offence.

It still remains quite difficult to convict suspected ‘revenge porn’ perpetrators, due to the law requiring intent behind the release of pictures and videos – either to cause distress or embarrassment.

An amendment to the law was suggested as part of the Online Safety Bill, which was announced last month.

But with the current laws as they are, Harrison’s case can be seen as a landmark victory.

Bear is set to be sentenced on 31 January and could face prison time.

He is still using social media platforms like Twitter to advertise his paid adult content on subscription site Fanly, which he uses to produce adult content.

Bear was banned from OnlyFans in December 2020, after the CCTV video was discovered and deleted, but it is not known whether he kept the money he made from selling it online.

In a statement to the BBC, charity Women’s Aid said it was “unacceptable that there are online pornography websites who are profiting from this abuse” and that “it is vital that young people know that sharing a sexually explicit image or video without consent is against the law and it’s not a game”.

The BBC has reached out to Twitter and Fanly to ask if they will be deactivating Bear’s accounts.

We have asked OnlyFans whether they or Bear profited from the video of him and Harrison being distributed on their platform.

With the passing of the Online Safety Bill, there would also be further protections for victims of abusers – such as a ban on sharing deepfakes and installing hidden cameras, although it’s currently unknown when this bill could be made into legislation.

Stephen Bear’s ‘revenge porn’ conviction could set the benchmark for further prosecutions say campaigners.

The former reality TV star was found guilty of sharing private sexual pictures and videos with intent to cause distress on Tuesday.

Kate Isaacs, who founded the charity Not Your Porn, described his victim, Georgia Harrison, as “resilient and brave”.

She added that his conviction would be “setting a precedent”.

Ms Isaacs told the BBC that prosecuting these types of cases often proves very difficult.

She created the campaign group after a close friend became a victim of so-called revenge porn when a video of her having sex ended up on the PornHub website.

Ms Isaacs advised Harrison and her family when they started taking steps to prosecute Bear.

Harrison had the right to remain anonymous as a victim of sexual abuse, but says she waived this to raise awareness of the effect ‘revenge porn’ can have.

Having met Bear on a reality TV show, they had maintained an on-and-off relationship and had met up in August 2020.

It was there that the pair were captured having sex in his garden on CCTV, with Bear later sending it to a friend on WhatsApp without Harrison’s permission.

Several months later he uploaded the video to subscription site OnlyFans, again without her knowing – when she found out it was on there, she told the police.

“This is incredibly high profile and with the audience that Stephen Bear and Georgia Harrison have, I think this is even more impactful,” Ms Isaacs said.

Bear has appeared on shows like Ex On The Beach and Celebrity Big Brother, while Harrison found fame on Love Island and The Only Way is Essex.

They both have several million social media followers between them.

“The fact she went public with this after someone had put her on the internet in a capacity that she didn’t consent to, for her to then come out and speak out against it – that bravery is just unmatched,” Ms Isaacs added.

Harrison said after the verdict that she hoped to give others “the courage to seek justice”.

She added that she felt “ashamed, hurt, violated, even broken at times” but now was “empowered” and “grateful” after Bear’s conviction.

‘Revenge porn’, which is also called non-consensual pornography or image-based sexual abuse, was made illegal in 2015.

An amendment to the law was created in 2021, which also made threatening to release private sexual images and films an offence.

It still remains quite difficult to convict suspected ‘revenge porn’ perpetrators, due to the law requiring intent behind the release of pictures and videos – either to cause distress or embarrassment.

An amendment to the law was suggested as part of the Online Safety Bill, which was announced last month.

But with the current laws as they are, Harrison’s case can be seen as a landmark victory.

Bear is set to be sentenced on 31 January and could face prison time.

He is still using social media platforms like Twitter to advertise his paid adult content on subscription site Fanly, which he uses to produce adult content.

Bear was banned from OnlyFans in December 2020, after the CCTV video was discovered and deleted, but it is not known whether he kept the money he made from selling it online.

In a statement to the BBC, charity Women’s Aid said it was “unacceptable that there are online pornography websites who are profiting from this abuse” and that “it is vital that young people know that sharing a sexually explicit image or video without consent is against the law and it’s not a game”.

The BBC has reached out to Twitter and Fanly to ask if they will be deactivating Bear’s accounts.

We have asked OnlyFans whether they or Bear profited from the video of him and Harrison being distributed on their platform.

With the passing of the Online Safety Bill, there would also be further protections for victims of abusers – such as a ban on sharing deepfakes and installing hidden cameras, although it’s currently unknown when this bill could be made into legislation.