Award-winning rapper Stormzy made his first public appearance at The BRIT Awards 2025 this evening in the wake of fan backlash.
BRITs host Jack Whitehall poked fun at Stormzy's latest ad campaign as he opened the star-studded show. "Ladies and gentlemen, do we have any Vossi Bopper’s in the house?" Jack said.
"In the 90s, you’d find your rappers doing drive-bys; this one you can find at the drive-thru – nominated for two Brit Awards this evening – we didn’t send him a limo tonight, we ‘deliverooed’ him here, it’s Stormzy. The grime scene’s Ronald McDonald. He’s loving it."
The Vossi Bop hitmaker sparked outrage from a large section of his fanbase last month when he unveiled a partnership with McDonald's. The collaboration came as a shock to some fans due to Stormzy's past support for the people of Gaza as McDonald's is currently being boycotted by many who stand with Palestinians.
The advert even drew criticism from former Labour Party boss Jeremy Corbyn, who labelled the tie-up "hugely disappointing" and called on Stormzy to rethink his venture with the burger chain. After staying quiet amid the huge fan backlash, the rapper issued a lengthy statement on Friday February 21st.
Stormzy shut down false allegations he deleted Free Palestine posts from his Instagram page in order to work with McDonald's but his attempt at explaining why he had crossed a picket line many of his fans refuse to cross didn't go down too well. Many took to social media to blast Stormzy's "word soup" and blast the star for "saying a whole lot of nothing" one week on from first posting the advert.
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror earlier this week, Phil Ossai, Personal Brand Advisor to high-profile entrepreneurs at OSSAI Agency, explained how Stormzy can rebuild his relationship with disappointed fans "Stormzy’s collaboration with McDonald’s has sparked strong reactions, and his apology last week doesn’t seem to have eased concerns - in fact, the backlash appears to have intensified," he said.
"That’s a reflection of the deep pain surrounding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and it’s understandable that people feel strongly about corporate actions in this context. At this point, further statements alone may not be enough. Actions carry more weight, and if Stormzy wants to rebuild trust with his fans, demonstrating tangible solidarity is key."
He added: "That could mean publicly addressing the concerns in a more direct way, engaging with the community that feels let down, or even supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza through donations or advocacy. Stormzy has built a reputation for standing up for important causes, and his response to this will shape how his fans perceive him moving forward. The anger has clearly moved beyond social media, and how he navigates this now - through both words and concrete actions - will determine whether he can repair that connection."
But given his appearance at The BRIT Awards this evening, where he laughed along as host Jack made jokes about his McDonald's gig, Stormzy looks like he's ready to move on from the backlash without addressing it again.
Many supporters of Palestine have been boycotting McDonald's in recent months due to the fast-food chain's historical ties with Israel and its military. Although McDonald's is not officially listed by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement as a company to boycott, the BDS has endorsed the social media-led campaign and backed calls to cease patronising the business,
Addressing the controversy on Instagram last week, Stormzy wrote: "Hey guys, I wanted to address some twisted narrative that has been circulating online this past week. Firstly, I didn't archive the post where I came out in support of Palestine for any reason outside of me archiving loads of IG posts last year. In that post, I spoke about #FreePalestine, oppression and injustice and my stance on this has not changed."
He continued, "The brands I work with can't tell me what to do and don't tell me what to do otherwise I wouldn't work with them. I do my own research on all brands I work with, gather my own information, form my own opinion and come to my own conclusion before doing business. I'm writing this because I know there are people out there who have supported me and rooted for me who are genuinely confused and hurt by what they think has happened and I want to give those people clarity so I hope this helps."
Stormzy addressed the controversy surrounding his McDonald's partnership: "I understand it must feel disappointing and disheartening when it seems like someone you've championed has compromised their beliefs for commercial gain but this isn't the case here. Social media and the internet quickly pass judgment without full context. While I want to continue to be open and honest, I prefer not to respond immediately to every misunderstanding or clear up every false narrative that surrounds my name. Lots of love, Stormz."
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