Oasis’ Noel and Liam Gallagher ‘force’ BBC to take down ‘car crash’ Wonderwall tribute: ‘Embarrassing!’
Liam and Noel Gallagher’s lawyers are understood to have compelled the BBC to pull a celebrity-packed Wonderwall video from its social media channels after the corporation failed to obtain the proper permissions for using the track online.
The footage, assembled by BBC Sport during the World Cup, featured a parade of well-known faces performing their own rendition of the 1995 Oasis classic.
It appeared briefly on the broadcaster’s platforms before vanishing without explanation.
According to The Sun, the band’s legal representatives raised objections and demanded the clip be taken down.
Noel and Liam Gallagher are understood to have requested the video’s removal
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PA“The BBC dropped an enormous ball with the Oasis video as it caused a riot,” an insider told the publication.
“Apparently the BBC didn’t seek the correct permissions to use the song on social media so they didn’t have a leg to stand on.”
The star-studded lineup recruited for the clip included Maya Jama, Claudia Winkleman, Stephen Fry, Michael McIntyre and Micah Richards, who reportedly kicked off proceedings.
Ross Kemp, Lee Mack, Sara Cox and Emma Raducanu also contributed, either singing or reciting lines from the famous track.
The classic Oasis track was used in the BBC’s World Cup tribute
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GETTY“BBC Sport saw all the traction Wonderwall was getting and decided to spend a lot of time, and a fair bit of cash, getting all these stars to sing or speak along,” the insider told The Sun.
“Their idea was it would go viral but instead Oasis’s legal team shot it down.”
BBC Sport chief Alex Kay-Jelski reportedly attempted to resist the Gallaghers’ demands to remove the footage but was ultimately unsuccessful in his efforts.
The song’s association with England’s World Cup campaign had been entirely organic, with fans spontaneously belting out the 1995 anthem after matches throughout the tournament.
It is understood the BBC did not obtain rights to use the Oasis song
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PAPlayers themselves embraced it too, with Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham among those singing the lyrics following victories, and Liam Gallagher even poked fun at Mr Kane for losing his voice in a post-match interview after belting out the tune.
Sensing an opportunity, BBC Sport invested considerable time and money in producing its own celebrity version, hoping the clip would spread rapidly across social media.
The plan is thought to have backfired spectacularly though. Not only did the Gallaghers’ legal team shut it down, but the video had already attracted withering criticism from viewers in the short window it was available online.
Before the clip was removed, viewers had already delivered a damning verdict.
Oasis’ Noel and Liam apparently prompted the removal of the tribute
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GETTYOne person declared it “the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” while another branded the celebrity singalong “absolute car crash content.” Critics also described the footage as “excruciating,” according to The Sun.
“Given how badly the video went down, the celebs were probably grateful it was pulled,” the insider added. “But it was a huge waste of time for the BBC and massively embarrassing.”
GB News has contacted the BBC about the reports.
Wonderwall originally appeared on Oasis’s second album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? and remains one of the group’s most iconic tracks, enjoying a remarkable resurgence more than three decades after its release.
The row comes as the band released the trailer for their documentary, Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger, which chronicles their Live 25 tour that launched in Cardiff a year ago.
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