- Sabrina Carpenter performed at the BRIT Awards on March 1
- But her opening performance has now been hit with hundreds of complaints to Ofcom
- Carpenter’s loyal fans have hit back at critics
Sabrina Carpenter wowed viewers when she performed at the BRIT Awards on March 1.
But while the performance went down a treat with her fans, other members of the audience weren’t as thrilled.
It has been revealed that the pint-sized pop star’s opening performance – as well as fellow singer Charli XCX’s sheer outfit – has prompted 825 complaints to media watchdog Ofcom.
Carpenter, 25, started the show with a mixing up her hits Espresso and Bed Chem with Rule Britannia! – all while wearing a red sparkly military-style mini-dress with matching stockings and suspenders.
Other complaints came when she simulated an intimate encounter with a dancer, who was wearing a famous King’s Guard uniform.
Carpenter’s performance came at 20:15 GMT, which is 45 minutes before the 21:00 television watershed. The watershed marks the time when TV programmes which might be unsuitable for children can be broadcast from.
An Ofcom spokesperson said, “We are assessing the complaints against our rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.”
Fans of Sabrina Carpenter leap to her defence
Mother pic.twitter.com/L1SNY4sCKy
— Camilla (@bankslivs) March 6, 2025
Of course, Carpenter’s loyal fans couldn’t help but be outraged by the news.
“If you’re so easily shocked by the sight of Sabrina Carpenter in lingerie that you’re complaining to Ofcom about it, you need to get a life and calm down,” scolded one. Another added, “Pathetic. She’s not the first artist to sing sexy songs on stage or dress racy. Quite literally far from the first. I’m sick of this.”
Someone else went on, “All those people are allergic to a good performance, Sabrina is giving more and more main pop girl vibes.”
Branding the complainants as “Karens” and joking that the British were “ungrateful”, others took aim at parents for letting their children watch the BRITs in the first place.
“I’m honestly fed up with reading parents saying, ‘She should be more aware that there are children in her audience’. WHEN IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT DIRECTED TO CHILDREN,” someone fired back, while another agreed, “There have been so many performances way more inappropriate than this. And why are you letting your kids stay up to watch an adult show?”
Noting that Carpenter received the “complaints for being too sexy”, someone else laughed, “They should of complained about the rest of the night… she was the only good thing about it.”
Sabrina Carpenter hit back at critics in January
It’s not the first time Carpenter has had to defend herself against critics.
In January, the singer came under attack from industry experts who see her songs, outfits and dance routines as being too risqué.
As music mogul Pete Waterman, 78, branded Carpenter “offensive”, she has now hit back at his harsh words.
“My message has always been clear – if you can’t handle a girl who is confident in her own sexuality, then don’t come to my shows,” she told The Sun.
Adding that women being judged on their appearance “isn’t something new”, Carpenter went on, “Female artists have been shamed forever. In the Noughties it was Rihanna, in the Nineties it was Britney Spears, in the Eighties it was Madonna – and now it’s me.
“It’s essentially saying that female performers should not be able to embrace their sexuality in their lyrics, in the way we dress, in the way we perform.
“It is totally regressive. It’s like those who want to shame don’t make comments when I talk about self-care or body positivity or heartbreak, which are all normal things a 25-year-old goes through. They just want to talk about the sexual side of my performances.”
