Adele's gesture overshadows prizes at Brit Awards
By Richard Allen Greene, CNN
February 22, 2012 -- Updated 1341 GMT (2141 HKT)
Adele flips the bird at awards show
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Adele raises her middle finger when she's cut off at the Brit Awards
- She apologizes, saying the gesture was aimed at "the suits"
- The broadcaster apologizes for cutting her speech short
London (CNN) -- Singing sensation Adele continued rolling in the prizes at the Brit Awards in London, but she made headlines Wednesday for something else: she gave the middle finger when she was cut off during the live broadcast.
The British star, who raked in six Grammys last week, won best album at the Brits for "21," which featured the hit single "Rolling in the Deep."
But when Brit host James Corden cut her speech short Tuesday night, she made the rude gesture.
Adele, Corden and the station that broadcast the awards all issued apologies of one kind or another after the incident.
Adele Vogue cover stirs controversy
Hear Adele for first time since surgery
The singer said backstage that she "flung the middle finger. But that finger was to the suits at the Brit Awards, not to my fans.
"I was about to thank the British public for their support and they cut me off," she said. "Sorry if I offended anyone, but the suits offended me."
Corden, the comedian who hosted the show, later said, "Can't believe i was told to cut off the amazing Adele at the end. #Livetvnightmare," on Twitter.
ITV, the broadcaster, apologized to Adele for cutting her off.
"The Brits is a live event, sadly the program was over-running and we had to move on," a statement from ITV said. "We would like to apologize to Adele for the interruption.... We don't want this to undermine her incredible achievement in winning her incredible award."
Last week the 23-year old won all six Grammys she was nominated for, including album of the year.
CNN's Brian Walker contributed to this report.
Part of complete coverage on
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0458 GMT (1258 HKT)
Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng tells CNN about his departure from China and his continuing concern for family and friends.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1739 GMT (0139 HKT)
Given recent headlines, you could easily assume something more dramatic than a singing competition was about to descend on Azerbaijan.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 1213 GMT (2013 HKT)
Formula One's 12 teams have struck an agreement to secure the future of the sport until 2020, Bernie Ecclestone has exclusively told CNN.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 1409 GMT (2209 HKT)
It was one small interview for astronaut Neil Armstrong ... and one giant scoop for an Australian accountant, of all people.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 2136 GMT (0536 HKT)
Bastoy prison is on an island in southern Norway. There are no fences or armed guards, and inmates hold the keys to locks.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1336 GMT (2136 HKT)
Stars from Barcelona FC will be encouraging reading as part of a project to give one million digital books to African children.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0823 GMT (1623 HKT)
We have mixed in the Duke of Edinburgh's gaffes among other famous faux pas. Take our quiz and see how many of Philip's gaffes you can spot.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 1534 GMT (2334 HKT)
The deadly clashes that are a fact of daily life in Syria have now bled into Lebanon, where sectarian shootouts are raising fears of an end to calm.
May 24, 2012 -- Updated 0746 GMT (1546 HKT)
Eva Wu has kept her teenage son's room unchanged ever since he died last year. Now, she also keeps him close in the form of a diamond.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 0331 GMT (1131 HKT)
Demonstrators say Twitter posts and Facebook groups brought them to the streets of Mexico's capital and cities around the country.
May 26, 2012 -- Updated 0946 GMT (1746 HKT)
Ben Wedeman explains how much has changed since the last presidential election, but much remains the same.
May 22, 2012 -- Updated 1416 GMT (2216 HKT)
In Delhi, where there are more elephants than Mormons, Manu Joseph explores India's U.S. election-envy and why a Republican is better for India.
May 25, 2012 -- Updated 1149 GMT (1949 HKT)
The wheels are coming off the wagon, says Richard Quest -- and Greece's membership of the eurozone is untenable under the current conditions.
May 22, 2012 -- Updated 1428 GMT (2228 HKT)
Why some observers believe that the full story of who destroyed a Pan Am flight over Lockerbie has still to be uncovered.
Today's five most popular stories
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|