LONDON: Louis Theroux’s podcast has had its sponsorship by British Airways paused after the documentary maker interviewed a member of the band Bob Vylan.
During the interview, frontman Bobby Vylan said he does not regret prompting criticism earlier this year when he led an audience in a chant of “death, death to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)” at Glastonbury music festival.
“I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays. I’m not regretful of it at all, like the subsequent backlash that I’ve faced. It’s minimal,” Vylan said in the podcast, released on Oct. 1.
“It’s minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through … What’s there to regret? Oh, because I’ve upset some right-wing politician or some right-wing media?”
BA said its adverts had been removed from the podcast, adding: “The content clearly breaches our sponsorship policy in relation to politically sensitive or controversial subject matters.
“We and our third-party media agency have processes in place to ensure these issues don’t occur and we’re investigating how this happened.”
A spokesperson for Mindhouse Productions, which produces the podcast, told Sky News: “Louis is a journalist with a long history of speaking to controversial figures who may divide opinion.
“We would suggest people watch or listen to the interview in its entirety to get the full context of the conversation.”
Commercial success has followed the Glastonbury controversy, with the band’s album “Humble as the Sun” reaching the top spot on the UK’s hip hop and R&B album chart.
