British Airways stops sponsorship of Louis Theroux podcast after Bob Vylan interview

British Airways has suspended its sponsorship of Louis Theroux’s podcast after an episode featuring British musician Bobby Vylan, who defended leading a controversial chant against the 'Israeli' military at Glastonbury Festival.

During the interview, Vylan said he was “not regretful” about chanting “death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” on stage, adding that he would “do it again tomorrow.”

He justified his actions as a show of solidarity with Palestinians, saying the backlash he faced was “minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through.” 

Since October 7, 2023, 'Israeli' forces have murdered over 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of whom women and children.

Following the interview, British Airways announced it was withdrawing its advertisements, stating the content “clearly breaches our sponsorship policy in relation to politically sensitive or controversial subject matters.”

The fallout from Vylan’s Glastonbury performance had already led to his band being dropped by their agency UTA, two postponed UK shows, and the revocation of their US visas by the State Department.

BBC, which livestreamed the performance, also faced criticism and was later found to have breached its own editorial guidelines over “harm and offence.”