Robbie Williams’ Rude Gesture During the World Cup Opening Makes Shocking Headlines
It is difficult to fathom what prompted the singer to indulge in this act at a time when the world was celebrating one of the biggest events of the year.
British singer Robbie Williams kick-started the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow. The stadium looked splendid on Thursday and was jam-packed with thousands of enthusiastic football buffs from all over the world. A large image of a football was laid on the ground, while the stage was in the center. The stadium looked magnificent with its colorful settings, acrobats, dancers and their unique props. Robbie Williams belted out a series of hits like ‘Let Me Entertain’ ‘Rock DJ’ and ‘Feel’ and later he was joined by Russian Soprano Aida Garifullina. Aida Garifullina entered the pitch on a firebird while singing Williams’ song ‘Angels.’
Both the artists mesmerized the crowds with their soulful voices and the duo didn’t fail the audience with their performances. Amidst the splendid celebration what stunned the audience the most was when Robbie Williams made an offensive gesture when he flipped his middle finger at the camera during his last song ‘Rock DJ’. The audience was shocked of course. It is difficult to fathom what prompted the singer to indulge in this act at a time when the world was celebrating one of the biggest events of the year.
The singer is known to be a campaigner for LGBT rights and he drew flak when he accepted the invitation to perform in a country that is not very supportive of the community. So far, Robbie Williams hasn’t responded to the criticism for his gesture so we are not yet sure what this act actually signifies. Only time will tell. The singer made the gesture in front of six million viewers and as expected Twitter users were quick to react.
“Turned on FOX just in time to see Robbie Williams give the middle finger to be worldwide audience. God, I love the World Cup.”
Red Blooded Kiki @SilverSong1892
“Robbie Williams just showed his middle finger right in front of the camera. Right, this World Cup is absolutely gonna be lit af.#WorldCup”
A spokesman for FOX network said it was a "newsworthy event produced by a third party and carried live on Fox. As it was broadcast live, we did not know what would happen during Robbie Williams' performance and we apologise.” Despite the singer’s rude act the audience seemed to have overlooked the singer’s gesture and applauded the 44-year-old singer’s performance and showmanship. Most of the fans even knew the lyrics of his songs.
Early on, Williams’ partner on stage- Garifullina sang an appealing operatic rendition and then joined Williams for a beautiful duet of ‘Angels'. While the duo was performing on ‘Angels’, dancers emerged dressed in colors of flags of all the 32 teams and bore signs that carried the name of all the nations. After the performance, Robbie’s wife- Ayda Field posted a selfie on Instagram with Robbie and his dad that said "Post-show joy with @robbiewilliams and Pete… so proud of my hubby!! Boyhood fantasy complete #worldcup2018.”
When the opening ceremony finally ended, fans were glued to watch the most awaited Russia Vs Saudi Arabia’s kick off. All in all, the World Cup has had a good start and it looks like there’s a lot more fun, excitement and entertainment to come. So, stay tuned for more.
