Miquita Oliver has criticised Brits Awards host Jack Whitehall for cheapening the music ceremony with “10 jokes about musicians taking cocaine”.
The annual ceremony took place at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday 2 March, with honoured musicians including Charli XCX, JADE, Stormzy and Miles Smith. Bad Education comedian Whitehall returned to host the events after a four-year hiatus, with Maya Jama, Clara Amfo and Roman Kemp on hosting duties last year.
TV presenter Oliver reflected on the ceremony while speaking on the podcast Miss Me?, which she co-hosts with singer Lily Allen, remarking that the appointment of Whitehall as this year’s host was “inappropriate”.
“I really don’t wanna bring Jack Whitehall down,” Oliver said, before Allen urged her not to as she is friends with the comedy star.
Oliver ignored Allen’s request and continued: “I felt like he brought a condescending and somewhat glib attitude to the proceedings.”
She remarked that the event had turned into “Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway” and that Whitehall’s jokes about the music industry’s relationship with drug use was “undermining” the artists being honoured at the ceremony.
Oliver said: “There is a room full of creatives and artists who have given us work this year. That doesn’t need to be undermined. And that was the whole MO of the tone.”
She added: “There were over 10 jokes about musicians taking cocaine. Dated. Over.”
Allen remarked that she doesn’t believe that musicians are taking cocaine at the Brit Awards like they may have done back in the Nineties and Noughties.
Oliver agreed, adding: “Exactly. We’re talking about the heady days of something that doesn’t exist anymore. Now we’re in this influencer, corporate room and we’re talking about it as if we’re in this room full of rock and roll stars.”
One drug-related joke occurred when Whitehall was interviewing actor Danny Dyer about his forthcoming comedy film Marching Powder.
Whitehall asked him: “You were the lead part on Marching Powder. Did you have many lines?”
In another moment, Whitehall made a joke about disgraced music mogul P Diddy, and referenced Stormzy’s controversial McDonald’s collaboration.
When former Little Mix singer JADE performed her hit song “Angel of my Dreams” wearing an all white outfit, Whitehall remarked: “I love that she went for that aesthetic. I really thought Diddy might have done it for the white party theme. JADE has brought it back.”
P Diddy, real name Sean Combs, is under investigation, having been charged last year with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. His alleged victims have claimed that some offences took place at his annual parties, where guests dressed in white.
Whitehall was subject to backlash from viewers at home, with some remarking that “every other word was bleeped by ITV” because he was talking about drugs.
Another person wrote on X/Twitter that Whitehall’s jokes were “distasteful” as another said they were “unfunny”.
Another person added: “You had Munya Chawawa right there… and chose Jack Whitehall to host? Who’s running the programming? “
Charli XCX was the champion of this year’s Brit Awards, dominating with five awards for her trend-setting 2024 album Brat.
Allen said of Charli XCX’s success: “It was a very good effort, she totally took over the year. Ethel, my daughter was furious that Central Cee didn’t win in any of his categories.”
Female artists fared well at the 2025 event, with US pop queens Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan – both breakout stars of 2024 – scooping the prizes for Global Success and International Artist of the Year, respectively. Meanwhile, JADE accepted her first solo Brit award for Best Pop Act.
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