Bob Vylan frontman Bobby Vylan has claimed BBC staff praised his Glastonbury set before it became the centre of a national controversy.
The punk-rap artist, whose real name is Bobby Jeffery, told Louis Theroux on the latest episode of The Louis Theroux Podcast that his team were congratulated backstage by BBC staff shortly after finishing their performance — despite the chant that later drew widespread condemnation.
“We come off stage. It’s normal. Nobody thought anything,” he said. “Even staff at the BBC were like, ‘That was fantastic! We loved that!’.”
The duo came under intense scrutiny after Vylan led a chant that included the words “Death to the IDF” — referring to Israel’s military — during their West Holts Stage set at Glastonbury 2025. The clip was streamed live on the BBC, prompting an apology from both the broadcaster and festival organisers and triggering a police investigation.
In the interview, recorded in London on October 1, Theroux asked whether Vylan expected the furious reaction that followed.
“No, I didn’t,” he replied. “It wasn’t like we came off stage and everyone gasped. Nobody thought anything. We went and got ice cream.”
Despite the backlash, the musician insists he would not change a thing.
“If I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes, I would do it again,” he said. “I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays.”
The fallout from the performance was immediate. The BBC said it “should have pulled the live stream sooner” and has since introduced stricter rules around “high-risk” live events. Festival organisers said they were “appalled”, while Labour leader Keir Starmer branded the chant “appalling hate speech”.
The Israeli Embassy in London said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage”, adding that it “advocated for the dismantling of the State of Israel and glorified violence”.
Avon and Somerset Police later confirmed an investigation was under way to determine whether any offences were committed. The controversy also saw the band reportedly barred from entering several countries, including the US, where tour dates were cancelled after visas were revoked.
At the top of the episode, Theroux notes their conversation took place before the Manchester synagogue attacks on October 2 and before a ceasefire in Gaza on October 10.
The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify now.
