This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Artist News Media
‘It was wrong’, say London Grammar on Radio 1’s ‘fit Hannah’ gaffe
By Aly Barchi | Published on Tuesday 3 December 2013
London Grammar have touched on Radio 1’s “fit Hannah” ‘bants’ misfire earlier this year, which saw the BBC station survey its Twitter followers on whether they regarded the band’s singer Hannah Reid as “fit”.
The tweet was later deleted and Radio 1 – though its Breakfast Show team at first defended the Twitter post as “ironic” – did make an apology, saying at the time: “We really regret the tweet this morning. Out of respect to Hannah, we have removed from our timeline”.
Talking about it all with the Guardian this weekend, Hannah said: “I think it’s the first thing that’s happened where I felt out of control. I think they could have said much worse and more sexist things, but putting my looks up for debate was wrong. And it’s just how casual it was. It does say something about casual sexism”.
Moving on to sexism in the music business at large, something Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches spoke out about last month, Reid adds: “There are some things about the music industry people don’t realise. Being a girl does make a difference. We ended up with a wonderful team, but I remember when we were first going for meetings with A&Rs, they would always look at Daniel when they’d ask about the songwriting”.
“In general, the music industry is so unreflective of society: it’s all men in the high positions – and a certain breed of man. And then there’s things that are tiring on a level you wouldn’t expect. When we were on ‘Sunday Brunch’ the other day my, hands were shaking onscreen because I was so nervous. Somebody tweeted at me afterwards to tell me I was a ‘cunt'”.
Terming the ‘fit’ tweet incident “a really weird thing”, and making sure not to piss of one of the UK’s biggest radio stations whilst he’s at it, London Grammar’s guitarist Dan Rothman adds: “I don’t want people to get the wrong idea. Radio 1 has been very supportive”.
Nice. Glad that’s all straightened out. Now look at London Grammar’s new ‘Nightcall’ video, which ties in with a track off their forthcoming first LP, ‘If You Wait’:
