Fans have slammed The Last Leg after they performed a parody of ‘Three Lions’ about the World Cup in Qatar.
The controversial location for the FIFA tournament has been criticised at length, due to the limited rights for women and the criminalisation of same-sex relationships.
Since Qatar was awarded the World Cup ten years ago, 6,000 migrant workers have died to build the stadiums and villages to hold the international event.
Presenter Adam Hills and series regular Jess Robinson took to the Channel 4 show on Tuesday to address the execution of gay men in Qatar by changing the lyrics and singing David Baddiel’s and Frank Skinner’s well-known song.
Adam began: “Everyone seems to know the score, but we just can’t ignore dead workers on the floor.”
As Robinson continued: “So many jokes, so many sneers, but they’ll jail you if you’re queer, and we’ve known it for 12 years.
“But in Qatar if Alan Carr toured and was joined by Boy George and then even RuPaul, they could end up three heads on a spike, meanwhile Beckham’s grinning.”
The gruesome lyrics left Channel 4 viewers in shock as they took to Twitter to label the parody about LGBTQ+ people being murdered as “tone deaf” and “disgusting” as they called for an apology.
One viewer wrote: “This doesn’t make me feel safe or supported as a gay person” as another agreed: “This is so distasteful. How on earth did you think singing gleefully about the LGBTQ+ people being murdered for being ourselves would be funny? Just after a massacre of LGBTQ+ people too? Apology needed.”
A disgusted viewer added: “They thought this was funny to broadcast in the same week that five LGBTQ+ people were murdered. Whether it’s cheap point scoring like this, or shamelessly pandering during Pride season, always remember that our lives—our sex, pain, anger, love, blood—are abstract to them.”
A fourth penned: “Makes me feel a bit sick to be honest. Not funny at all and makes a mockery of LGBTQ Qataris. Don’t forget, the last time the World Cup was in England, it was illegal to be gay here. This is not allyship!”
As a fifth tweeted: “This is vile. What the hell is going on.”
Alongside FIFA’s decision to host the game in Qatar, public figures, presenters and players have been criticised for being involved in the event and not standing up for the LGBTQ+ community.
The England team famously backed down days before their first match from their captain wearing their One Love armband.
However, former England captain Alex Scott was met with praise as she wore her armband as she presented footage live from the pitch.
One supporter tweeted: “Alex Scott has proved she is braver than the entire England team.”
Meanwhile, David Beckham has been criticised by Joe Lycett as he took up the post of an official ambassador for the football tournament in Qatar.
Despite the call to ditch his reported £10 million deal, Beckham refused to step down from his position, which led to the comedian shredding his Attitude magazine cover from 2002.
