The annual Brit Awards returned to London this past weekend, with Charli XCX sweeping the major categories. As the Brat singer, 32, accepted the artist of the year award, some viewers were more focused on her wardrobe choice than her five trophies. Sabrina Carpenter sparked similar concerns, as risqué onstage performances are nothing new for the 25-year-old pop star. In fact, the United Kingdom’s Office of Communications recently announced it is fielding hundreds of complaints pertaining to Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX at the Brit Awards.
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Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX Get Viewers Talking at Brit Awards
No doubt that Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX were the talk of this year’s Brit Awards. In addition to accepting the global success award, Carpenter took the stage to perform a mashup of her summer 2024 anthem “Espresso” and the British patriotic song “Rule Britannia.”
Saving the most outrageous for last, the former Disney Channel star changed into a sparkly red bra and shorts for her next song, “Bed Chem.” The Grammy winner lounged suggestively on a large bed as she sang, Are you free next week? I bet we’d have really good- / Come ride on me, I mean, camaraderie
Diehard Carpenter fans loved it, with one quipping on social media that “the ofcom complaints about that performance are gonna be through the roof.”
Sabrina Carpenter doing Bed Chem pre-watershed? The ofcom complaints about that performance are gonna be through the roof but I enjoyed it. That’s my girl! #BRITs pic.twitter.com/nIXKCfp1FS
— mindironalia.bsky.social 🐝🇹🇿 (@mindironalia) March 1, 2025
Alas, they weren’t wrong. In Ofcom’s weekly audience report published Wednesday (March 5), the media watchdog disclosed that it received 825 complaints between Saturday night and Monday alone. A spokesperson confirmed to The Sun that the majority of the complaints stemmed from Carpenter’s performance, which aired before the 9 p.m. watershed.
Sharing a carousel of photos from the ceremony to her Instagram, Carpenter cheekily remarked, ” i now know what watershed is!!!!”
[RELATED: 3 of Sabrina Carpenter’s Best Award Show Performances]
Charli XCX Claps Back At Critics
We’d say Sabrina Carpenter left quite an impression at the Brit Awards, as did Charli XCX. The “Guess” singer didn’t perform, but she did win every category she was nominated in. Accepting the artist of the year award in a sheer black dress, Charli made it clear that she was well aware of the uproar her outfit had caused.
Charli xcx has won big at the 2025 BRITs taking home "of the year" awards for Album (BRAT), Song ("Guess"), Artist, Dance Act, and Songwriter. 🎇🎇🎇 pic.twitter.com/GDMdejun8l
— Canadian Music Blog (@CanadianMusicBl) March 2, 2025
“I heard that ITV were complaining about my nipples,” she remarked at the podium March 1 at London’s O2 Arena. “I feel like we’re in the era of free the nipple though, right?”
Featured image by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
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