Adele has gained another supporter after igniting a cultural appropriation row over the weekend.
The chart-topping singer was criticised for wearing a Jamaican flag bikini and styling her hair in bantu knots for an Instagram photo paying tribute to London’s Notting Hill Carnival.
And after Naomi Campbell and MP David Lammy lent their support to the star, Piers Morgan branded the row ‘absolute guff’ on Monday’s Good Morning Britain.
Adele has gained another supporter after igniting a cultural appropriation row over the weekend, with Piers Morgan furiously defending her on Monday’s Good Morning Britain
The presenter was back on the ITV show after his summer break, and during a headline round up with GMB’s showbiz correspondent Ross King, he was keen to voice his views.
‘Can we talk about Adele, she’s looking incredible,’ Piers noted. ‘She’s been thin-shamed, apparently she lost all their weight but she’s not allowed to. She had to be the old Adele.’
‘She looks great, she looks healthy, she looks fit, she looks slim, she looks lovely.’
Susanna then interjected with: ‘So now we have to criticise her for something else’.
Row: The chart-topping singer was criticised for wearing a Jamaican flag bikini and styling her hair in bantu knots for an Instagram photo paying tribute to London’s Notting Hill Carnival
‘So now she’s got to be targeted for cultural appropriation,’ Piers agreed. ‘A load of absolute guff,’ he vented.
‘I think cultural appropriation is guff. She’s paying tribute. It’s appreciation.’
Piers pointed out the singer ‘comes from Tottenham, there’s a lot of Jamaicans living in Tottenham. She would have hung out with a lot of Jamaicans, eaten at a lot of Jamaican restaurants.’
‘Guff’: After Naomi Campbell and MP David Lammy lent their support to the star, Piers Morgan branded the row ‘absolute guff’ on Monday’s Good Morning Britain
Debate: The presenter was back on the ITV show after his summer break, and during a headline round up with co-stars Susanna Reid and Ross King, he was keen to voice his views
Susanna then explained that Tottenham MP David Lammy had tweeted his support on Monday, saying: ‘Poppycock! This humbug totally misses the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival and the tradition of “ dress up” or “ masquerade”. Adele was born and raised in Tottenham she gets it more than most. Thank you Adele. Forget the Haters.’
‘I’m glad David Lammy said that,’ Piers told Susanna. ‘Trying to pour fuel on the fire of this bogus story I think is such a retrogade step.’
‘Nobody cares, we’ve got a pandemic, we’ve got crises coming out of our ears. Adele celebrating Notting Hill Carnival, which isn’t going ahead, is something to celebrate and enjoy and to look at her and go “you know what Adele, you look great.”‘
‘Appreication’: Piers pointed out the singer ‘comes from Tottenham, there’s a lot of Jamaicans living in Tottenham. She would have hung out with a lot of Jamaicans’
In a picture shared to her Instagram on Sunday night, Adele, posing in the garden of her $9.5million Beverly Hills home, wore her hair in Bantu knots leading some to slam the choice as ‘insensitive’.
While some claimed the singer was profiting off black culture by sporting the style, many others pointed out the star grew up in Tottenham, London and has been surrounded by black culture throughout her life.
Joining in the defense Adele were DJ Ace and singer Alexandra Burke, who was a guest on the DJ’s Carnival tribute show on BBC Radio 1Xtra on Monday morning.
Home borough: Susanna then explained that Tottenham MP David Lammy had tweeted his support on Monday, saying: ‘Poppycock!’
Ace said: ‘I love the picture, I don’t care what people say. Big up to Adele breaking the internet. Big up to Adele. we love her. There’s some other funny comments.’
Alexandra meanwhile said: ‘I see the pic. She looks hot. She’s obviously been working on her body, that for me is a big deal. She’s looking good.’
‘As a Jamaican girl myself, my girl has grown up in black culture. People forget she’s from Tottenham. She probably eats jerk chicken all the time like all of us’
‘All I’m saying is the girl looked good, leave her. Allow her man. If Popcaan is going to endorse it and say yes my girl you’re wearing the flag and you’re wearing it well. Let her live her best life, leave her alone. We love Adele.”
Supermodel Naomi Campbell, whose mother was born in Jamaica, commented on Adele’s Instagram photo with two love heart emojis and two pictures of the Jamaican flag.
Support: While some claimed the singer was profiting off black culture by sporting the style, many rushed to show their support for the singer, including celebs Naomi Campbell, Zoe Saldana and Jamaican musician Popcaan
Friends: Supermodel Naomi Campbell, whose mother was born in Jamaica, commented on Adele’s Instagram photo with two love heart emojis and two pictures of the Jamaican flag
Actress Zoe Saldana also commented, telling the singer ‘you look right at home guurrrl!’
While Jamaican musician Popcaan shared a fist emoji and a love heart.
Other fans took to Twitter to point out to Adele’s critics that she was surrounded by Jamaican culture while growing up in Tottenham, and has always been a supporter of the Notting Hill Carnival.
The star was born in Tottenham before moving with her mother Penny Adkins to Brighton at the age of nine.
In 1999, at the age of 11 she and her mother moved back to London; first to Brixton, then to the neighbouring district of West Norwood in south London, which is the subject of her first song Hometown Glory.
Fan: Joining in the defense was singer Alexandra Burke, who speaking on BBC Radio 1Xtra on Monday said: People forget she’s from Tottenham. She probably eats jerk chicken all the time’
Background: Other fans took to Twitter to point out to Adele’s critics that she was surrounded by Jamaican culture while growing up in Tottenham, London
‘Remember Adele grew up in Tottenham, Ldn, surrounded by Jamaican culture,’ wrote one tweeter.
‘For many kids, reagardless of their family origins, it was ingrained in their language, fashion, food not just music. With Adele we know it’s coming from a good place, with love and respect.’
‘Adele grew up between Brixton, West Norwood and Tottenham, they have some of the highest Black populations in the country. She’s not some any posh girl from Sussex,’ tweeted Jason Okundaye.
Another supporter pointed out that Adele was paying tribute to Notting Hill Carnival ‘which is a celebration of West Indies heritage in London/UK. Adele grew up in Tottenham, one of the largest Jamaican diasporas in the UK.’
Adele captioned her original post: ‘Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival my beloved London.’
Wow: Others pointed out the striking similarities between Adele and fellow chart-topper Katy Perry, with Piers tweeting: ‘This is truly shocking… when did @Adelebecome @katyperry?’
The carnival – an annual celebration of Caribbean culture – moved online for the first time this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Others simply pointed out the striking similarities between Adele and fellow chart-topper Katy Perry, with Piers tweeting on Monday: ‘This is truly shocking… when did @Adelebecome @katyperry?’
Adele received backlash with many suggesting she was profiting off black culture with her choice of outfit and hairstyle.
Ernest Owens wrote on Twitter: ‘If 2020 couldn’t get anymore bizarre, Adele is giving us Bantu knots and cultural appropriation that nobody asked for. This officially marks all of the top white women in pop as problematic. Hate to see it.’
He later added: ‘I’m too old and Black to be defending and making excuses for white people who still can’t read the damn room in 2020.’
A user who goes by Johnny added: ‘Adele dropped that weight and said it’s time for her cultural appropriation era.’
Some people claimed the Rolling in the Deep singer was profiting off black culture by sporting the style – along with a Jamaican flag-themed yellow, black and green halterneck top