BBC Radio 1 Disables CMAT Comment Threads as Singer Says Body Shaming Tarnishes Success
Updated
Updated · RTÉ News · May 29
BBC Radio 1 Disables CMAT Comment Threads as Singer Says Body Shaming Tarnishes Success
9 articles · Updated · RTÉ News · May 29
BBC Radio 1 disabled comments on social posts featuring CMAT’s Big Weekend performance after the singer said online body shaming was overshadowing her career success.
Instagram became CMAT’s outlet for a lengthy statement saying abuse about her weight had intensified as her profile grew, despite removing Instagram, TikTok and X from her phone to protect her mental health.
30-year-old Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson said she was not making a defiant statement with her appearance and would enjoy her success more if she were thin, even as she remains grateful for her career.
BBC said it was in contact with CMAT and her team and offered full support, while fans and artists including Sophie Ellis-Bextor publicly backed her.
Saturday’s sold-out Dublin show comes days after Euro-Country won Best Album at the Ivor Novello Awards and after her third album was nominated for the Mercury Prize.
Why is an artist’s body a bigger story than her music at a major festival?
When success is tarnished by abuse, are social media platforms complicit in the harm?