Becky Hill hits out at “privately educated nepo baby” Jack Whitehall over Brit Awards joke
Pop star Becky Hill has criticised Brit Awards host Jack Whitehall for calling her “Wetherspoons Whitney” during the ceremony.
At the Brits, Hill was nominated in the ‘Best Dance Act’ category, which Charli XCX won. The other acts who were shortlisted in the category were Nia Archives, Chase and Status, and Fred Again.
Before the award was dished out, Whitehall ran through the list of contenders for the prize, joking to those in attendance at the ceremony at London’s O2 Arena, “It’s an eclectic mix of nominees this year, from the soaring vocals of the Wetherspoons Whitney Becky Hill to the atmospheric house of Top Jaw with decks, Fred Again.”
Wetherspoons is a budget chain of pubs across the United Kingdom which has negative connations attached to it. Hill, who grew up in Worcestershire and attended a comprehensive school, also took offence due to Whitehall’s upper-class background and interpreted it as him looking down at her from a position of privilege,
“Imagine being called a ‘Wetherspoons Whitney’ by some privately-educated nepo baby who has a TV show with daddy the showbiz agent on national TV,” she wrote on Instagram Stories, referencing his father, Michael Whitehall.
Hill continued: “My parents worked so hard to provide a middle class life for me, even tho they couldn’t afford it, no one gave me a leg up, I wasn’t near London so I couldn’t go to the BRIT School. So if you associate a Midlands accent with a Wetherspoons that says more about the silver spoon in your mouth, jolly ol’ boy.”
In another post, Hill vented more frustration at Whitehall, writing, “Me and my working class attitude off to work today. Remember not to be out of touch today kids, even if ur daddy is rich. Shout out Jack Whitehall for the fuel to my fire.”
Whitehall is yet to respond to Hill’s criticism. Throughout the ceremony, he poked fun at a series of stars from the music industry, including Stormzy’s controversial recent collaboration with McDonald’s and also spent several minutes mocking KSI.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.