Ella Henderson has sparked a backlash from the queer community after performing at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on Tuesday.
The former X Factor contestant, 26, is a regular on the Pride circuit and the Conservative Party has a somewhat chequered history of supporting LGBTQ+ people.
Several clips emerged online from her appearance at the TikTok and UK Music reception and raised some eyebrows, with a number of fans taking to social media to vent their frustration.
“How did Ella Henderson go from performing at PRIDE to the Tory conference!? Girl who is your target audience,” wrote one user on Twitter.
“Ella Henderson... the only people I know that listen to her music and have paid to see her, are the gays.
“Her most frequent income must be her slate of Pride gigs every summer and the odd Mighty Hoopla-type gig.
“What the hell is she thinking,” questioned another.
“Ella Henderson performing at a Tory conference just weeks after she did a string of Pride events…” penned a third, along with a clip featuring Kim Woodburn on Celebrity Big Brother.
Ella Henderson performing at a Tory conference just weeks after she did a string of Pride events… pic.twitter.com/dubOkM98WC
— Steven Bonaventure x (@absolutegazelle) October 5, 2022
In it, the How Clean Is Your House? star can be heard fuming: “It’s a shame such a lovely girl with a kind heart is such a b****.”
Not everyone saw it as a bad move on the Crazy What Love Can Do hit-maker’s part however.
“To be honest there are loads of gay Tories on Pride committees so Ella Henderson could still get booked,” put forward one.
TikTok and UK Music told the Standard in a statement: "Ella Henderson performed as a guest of UK Music and TikTok at the Conservative Party Conference, following a similar event at the Labour Party Conference the week before.
Out of all the Conservative Party conference fringe events I’ve been to this has to be the most random.
— Emily Hewertson (@emilyhewertson) October 4, 2022
Ella Henderson is performing 🤣 pic.twitter.com/JMz6dNOUr6
“Ella was due to perform at the Labour Party Conference as well but had to pull out due to illness.
“These events do not indicate political affiliation and are held to highlight the importance of the UK’s music sector and the success of our talent on a global stage.
“It’s vital that those in Government and Opposition appreciate the importance of the UK music industry both economically and culturally and that’s why UK Music — which is the representative body for the sector — exists and works on the industry’s behalf.”
