Oasis has reportedly forced the BBC to take down a video featuring celebrities singing their hit song Wonderwall during the World Cup. The clip, which featured the likes of Stephen Fry, Micah Richards, Maya Jama and Claudia Winkleman, was posted by the BBC in the lead-up to England's semi-final against Argentina.
Following the Three Lions' defeat, the video was swiftly removed, with the website showing an error message when trying to access it. Despite the song becoming synonymous with England's fans belting out the tune after wins during the tournament, social media users found the BBC's video cringeworthy.
Legal objections and permissions
Commenting on X, one user called Chris said: 'I can't put into words how angry I am at this,' while Alice even claimed: 'This is why England lost… we definitely deserved to lose, the universe does not let things this bad go unpunished.'
Now, however, it has been revealed that Liam and Noel Gallagher's legal team objected to the way the song was used. The BBC also reportedly did not secure the right permissions to use Wonderwall on their social media.
A source told The Sun: 'The BBC dropped an enormous ball with the Oasis video as it caused a riot. 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.'
Celebrity lineup and comparisons
The video featured several different celebrities – from Sara Cox to Michael McIntyre, Ross Kemp and Emma Raducanu singing the famous lyrics, with former England footballer Richards beginning the tune. Even David Baddiel joined in, with a nod to the England anthem, Three Lions, which he sang with Frank Skinner and The Lightning Seeds in the 90s. Notably, the Gallagher brothers didn't join in.
BBC Sport boss Alex Kay-Jelski is said to have tried to fight the decision to remove the video, but was unable to stop it. Comparisons to the infamous celebrity cover of John Lennon's Imagine were also made, with many calling it 'worse'. It was also described as 'cringe-inducing' while PootballFundit branded it 'absolute car crash content'.
New Oasis gig dates
This comes after new Oasis 2027 gig dates were 'leaked' as a former publicist hinted at ticket prices. According to The Sun, Oasis are set to take over Manchester City's home ground, the Etihad Stadium, for a 12-night residency across six weeks starting in June 2027. 'Dates could be added, but for now that's the master plan,' claimed the insider.
Metro has contacted the BBC for comment and representatives for Oasis.
