The BBC removed a star-studded video of Oasis's Wonderwall after the band's legal team intervened, reportedly because the broadcaster had not secured the necessary permissions to use the song on social media.
The clip, which featured famous faces including Maya Jama, Claudia Winkleman, Stephen Fry and Michael McIntyre, appeared online before being taken down. It had been created after Wonderwall unexpectedly became associated with England's World Cup campaign, with supporters singing the 1995 anthem to players after matches.
Celebrity line-up and legal objection
BBC Sport enlisted celebrities to take part in its own version, with Micah Richards starting the rendition before other stars appeared. Ross Kemp, Lee Mack, Sara Cox and Emma Raducanu were also among those said to have contributed, either singing or speaking lines from the track.
According to The Sun, Liam and Noel Gallagher's legal representatives objected to the video, and it was subsequently taken down.
Reaction to the video
A source told the publication: "The BBC dropped an enormous ball with the Oasis video as it caused a riot." The source added: "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. Their idea was it would go viral but instead Oasis's legal team shot it down. 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."
Its removal may have spared some celebrities from further criticism, as the tribute had already received a mixed response. Before it was removed, one unimpressed viewer declared: "This might be the worst thing I've ever seen," while another described the singalong as "absolute car crash content".
Background and aftermath
The source said: "Given how badly the video went down, the celebs were probably grateful it was pulled. But it was a huge waste of time for the BBC and massively embarrassing."
Wonderwall was originally released on Oasis's second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? in 1995 and became one of the band's most recognisable songs. Its emergence as a soundtrack to England's World Cup run gave the track a fresh surge in attention more than three decades after its release.
The Mirror has approached representatives for Oasis for comment. The BBC declined to comment when approached by The Mirror.
