'Mortified' Pulp fan blasts Jarvis Cocker after he mocked her as a teen

A Pulp fan has accused frontman Jarvis Cocker of mocking her onstage after claiming an embarrassing anecdote he told at a recent show was about her.
Former self-confessed 'mega fan' Ruth Husko attended the band's reunion tour show at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Thursday night in support of Pulp's new album More, their first one in 24 years.
She said she was 'absolutely mortified' to hear the singer reminisce about a former audience member's behaviour at another gig in the city in the late 1990s and realise that he was allegedly speaking about her.
Sharing a photo from the gig to X, Ruth began her post by saying she had been enjoying the show 'immensely' until Cocker, 61, started talking about Pulp's 1998 gig at the NEC.
She recalled that he had explained how balloons were supposed to fall from the ceiling during the gig, but he had struggled to release them properly from the net – resulting in just one single balloon falling out.
Ruth wrote: 'He went on to describe how a woman at the front of the crowd had grabbed that sole balloon and then he did a little impression of the woman, really enthusiastically waving the balloon around like a moron for the rest of the show.
'He summed it up saying it was the most humiliating experience of his life and everyone laughed.'
To her horror, this is when Ruth claims it dawned on her that the woman the Common People hitmaker was talking about was, in fact, her – aged 15.
She continued: 'Ladies and gentlemen: that woman was 15 years old, and I know because it was me.
'I was a Pulp mega fan back then and would've done anything for Jarvis to acknowledge my existence. Now he's doing an impression of me looking like a f*****g dollop in front of an audience of thousands.'
However, she then made a little dig back, adding: 'Was absolutely mortified, but at least I didn't dress up as Rolf Harris for Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes (2002).'
In 2014, Harris was convicted on twelve counts of indecent assault against four female victims, aged between eight and 19. He served nearly three years of his five years and nine months sentence, before dying aged 93 in May 2023.
He had always denied any wrongdoing.
In a follow-up tweet, Ruth also shared that she found it funny Cocker had described her as a woman, despite being only a teenager at the time.
'In 1998 I was still a child. Having said that I was 5ft 9in, obese and used to wear a Caterpillar jacket. I looked like a divorced bricklayer from Stoke,' she added.
Pulp scored their first number one album in 27 years this month with More, having last topped the charts with This Is Hardcore in 1998.
There have also been rumours running rampant that Pulp is the true identity of secret act Patchwork, set to grace the stage at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival next weekend.
Popular tip account SecretGlasto seemingly 'confirmed' the news that it would be Pulp taking to the Pyramid Stage in that primetime slot of 6:15pm on Saturday, June 28.
SecretGlasto shared a video of a patchwork quilt and someone using a sewing machine before cutting to clips of Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. More Trending
Cocker has recently spoken about doing patchwork while on tour, and he's already set to be at Glastonbury this year for a DJ set at the Stone Bridge bar.
Formed in Sheffield in 1978, Pulp grew in popularity in the mid-90s, firstly with their 1994 album His 'n' Hers and then its follow-up Different Class.
Their recent return with new music has proven bittersweet after the band lost bassist Steve Mackey in 2023.
Metro has contacted a rep for Jarvis Cocker for comment.
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MORE: All the clues and theories about who Glastonbury's mystery Patchwork band is

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Metro

6 hours ago

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All the rumoured secret sets at Glastonbury 2025 from Pulp to Lewis Capaldi

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The sisters – Danielle, Este, and Alana – have performed three times at Glastonbury in the past decade (2014, 2017, and 2022). As well as great timing as the trio post endless videos of themselves in London, they have expressed how much they love The Park stage — which has a TBA slot on Saturday at 7.30pm. When asked by Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2 whether they were free on the Glastonbury weekend, the Falling hitmakers said: 'Well we are playing Margate a couple of days before, so we will be in the area..' 'We love the Park Stage. We played there the first time we came to Glastonbury, it felt like a movie. We were like, how did we get here?' they said. 'You'll never forget the first time you step onto the farm. It's the most insane feeling we will ever have.' Haim were also set to play in 2020, scheduled to take the stage the same week their critically acclaimed third album Women in Music Pt. III was released. While they finally took to the stage two years later in what NME dubbed a 'victory lap', could The Wire hitmakers be looking to re-do their album rollout plan? Oh, did we mention there's a track called the farm on the new album? If they're not there, we quit. Who could forget Lewis Capaldi's heartbreaking 2023 Pyramid Stage set as he broke down in tears on stage. The Someone You Loved hitmaker has been absent from the spotlight since he struggled to finish his performance at Worthy Farm due to vocal issues and a Tourette's flare-up. While he asked the thousands-strong crowd to help him sing his hit song Bruises — which they happily obliged — before wrapping up his set. He's been slowly but surely returning to the public eye, so what better way to celebrate his return to good health than with a triumphant return to the Pyramid Stage. Lewis, 26, is widely thought to be the secret set, scheduled to follow Alanis Morrisette on Saturday, which begins at 6:15pm and ends at 7:15pm. 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Brit award-winning artist of the year Charli XCX is on the lineup for Saturday, confirmed to be headlining the Other Stage by Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac's Sidetracked podcast after taking over Levels last year. The Other Stage's Friday headliner is Loyle Carner while Sunday is The Prodigy, returning as headliner for the first time since Keith Flint's death. More Trending Legendary DJ Annie also self-confirmed while on the podcast, despite not being on the initial lineup announcement. The rest lineup is bursting with popular artists like Raye (on the Pyramid Stage), Biffy Clyro, Gracie Abrams, Doechii, Beabadoobee, and a debut Glasto performance from Noah Kahan. Lola Young is performing but that's no surprise after her accidental self-confirm at the Brit Awards, telling fans she was at Coachella and Glastonbury while on the red carpet. Only time will tell if Robbie Williams, Pulp, or anyone else rumoured takes to the stage. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Inside the £28,999 Glastonbury accommodation with pools, an onsite hairdresser, and helicopter arrivals MORE: 90s pop icons missed out on Glastonbury legends slot for devastating reason MORE: Pulp fan 'mortified' after Jarvis Cocker mocked her as a teen

ITV News

8 hours ago

• ITV News

Kneecap Glastonbury slot ‘not appropriate', says Prime Minister

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think Kneecap's planned Glastonbury Festival performance is 'appropriate'. He made the comments after Kneecap member Liam Og O hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday, after being charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah while saying 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah' at a gig in November last year. In an interview with The Sun, Sir Keir was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: 'No, I don't, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this. 'This is about the threats that shouldn't be made, I won't say too much because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate.' It comes after Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance at the festival next week. Mrs Badenoch said in the X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group: 'The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. 'One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. 'As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism.' The Tory Leader of the Opposition has previously called for the group to be banned from Glastonbury, and last year Kneecap won a discrimination case against the UK Government in Belfast High Court after she tried to refuse them a £14,250 funding award when she was a minister. Kneecap took aim at Mrs Badenoch in their latest single, The Recap, released just before their headline set at London's Wide Awake festival in May, with the song mocking the politician's attempts to block their arts funding and the Conservative Party's election loss. On Wednesday, O hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. During the proceedings, a prosecutor told the court the 27-year-old is 'well within his rights' to voice his opinions on Israel and Palestine, but the alleged incident at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, is a 'wholly different thing'. O hAnnaidh was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. Following the hearing, the rapper said: 'For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday. 'If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We'll be at Wembley in September. 'But most importantly: free, free Palestine.' The charge came following a counter-terrorism police investigation after the historical gig footage came to light, which also allegedly shows the group calling for the deaths of MPs. In April, Kneecap apologised to the families of murdered MPs but said footage of the incident had been 'exploited and weaponised'. In an initial post in response to the charge, Kneecap said: '14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British establishment is focused on us. 'We deny this 'offence' and will vehemently defend ourselves, this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction. 'We are not the story, genocide is, as they profit from genocide, they use an 'anti-terror law' against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage. A charge not serious enough to even warrant their crown court, instead a court that doesn't have a jury. What's the objective? 'To restrict our ability to travel. To prevent us speaking to young people across the world. To silence voices of compassion. To prosecute artists who dare speak out. 'Instead of defending innocent people, or the principles of international law they claim to uphold, the powerful in Britain have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries. Then, like now, they claim justification. 'The IDF units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists, the whole world can see it.' Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English and their merchandise. Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag. A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers.

Sky News

9 hours ago

• Sky News

Festival season is here, but does politics have a place on the stage?

Festival season is under way, and leading the charge: the Isle of Wight Festival - dubbed "Europe's Woodstock" - with headliners including Sting and the Stereophonics. Former N-Sync star Justin Timberlake - a man who's crooned about his love of "dance, dance, dance" and has recently become a meme for his mic-centric moves on stage - is a headliner too. Meanwhile, Glastonbury Festival will see headline acts including Olivia Rodrigo, the 1975, and Charli XCX. But along with the headline stars and hot weather, politics has also found its way into the spotlight. Youth culture and political expression have long been part of the festival experience, with Vietnam, nuclear disarmament, Brexit and the Russian invasion of Ukraine all attracting attention over the decades. This year, with geopolitics seemingly at a boiling point, the Israel-Hamas war has had far-reaching implications. As the Israel-Iran war follows in its wake, the conflict has prompted strong opinions on both sides. Irish-language rap trio Kneecap 's upcoming Glastonbury Festival set has become a flashpoint for robust debate, drawing protests from those calling for their set to be cancelled, as well as those championing their right to speak out. The root of the contention? Kneecap band member Liam O'Hanna, 27, was charged with a terror offence earlier this year, accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year. Hezbollah was proscribed in its entirety in 2019 because the government classed it as a terrorist organisation and said its attacks on Israel were "attempts to destabilise the fragile situation in the Middle East". Although "removed" from playing at Scottish music festival TRNSMT next month due to "safety concerns", Kneecap have remained on the Glastonbury bill, prompting the question: Is the stage a place for political opinion? 'If we think we're separate from world events, we're kidding ourselves' Faithless star Sister Bliss, who performed at the first of the re-instated Isle of Wight Festivals and is performing again this year, tells Sky News: "If we think that we're separate from world events, we're absolutely kidding ourselves. Our lives are tied intrinsically to everybody else's on the planet. "You can have certain people that express that in a way that is perhaps a tad crass, but I love that lyrically - especially on our records, in songs that we've made over the last 30 years - I feel that you can combine the personal and political in a way that's not tub-thumping or simplistic. These issues are very nuanced that are going on in the world right now." Speaking to Sky News at the Isle of Wight Festival, Clean Bandit star Grace Chatto says artists are right to use the stage to amplify their voice. "It is such a great place for political speech, like when Jeremy Corbyn spoke at Glastonbury - it was the most attended thing of the whole event, and it just brought such a feeling of unity and hope in that field on that day". The 39-year-old cellist adds: "Then recently, Kneecap and Massive Attack have just been so important, I think, and amazing." Earlier this month, Massive Attack, who have previously been critical of Israel, included footage of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his family as part of a video montage at one of their concerts. 'I've got loads of friends who are absolute idiots politically' Fresh from the Isle of Wight Main Stage, Mae Muller tells Sky News: "With what's happening in Gaza, I know that's been a very prominent theme with people saying, 'Should we speak out about it or not?' But that's not political, it's a human rights issue. "It's important for us to use our voice, because not everybody can. If we feel strongly about something, and we can stand behind it, I think [the stage is] definitely a place to do it." Muller, who represented the UK at last year's Eurovision Song Competition - which became a highly politicised event despite the attempts of the organisers to keep it from the stage - continues: "Art is inherently political, and you can't really escape it. And we shouldn't want to escape it. It can be two things at once. [Politics] and fun can coexist." Meanwhile, Razorlight front-man Johnny Borrell, ahead of his Main Stage performance, tells Sky News: "Why not say what you believe in? Why does everyone get so precious? "You can disagree with people. I've got loads of friends who are absolute idiots politically - they think the earth is flat. I like them as people, but I completely disagree with them in politics". Borrell adds: "We don't have a problem with disagreeing, but if everyone's tapping away [mimes typing on a phone] and they're like, 'No, I'm really angry, I'm going to tap back,' that's a different thing. That's what's changed recently." A 'disruptor' festival, showing the world that anything is possible' Regardless of the polarised times, Isle of Wight Festival promoter John Giddings, 72, says the Isle of Wight Festival experience should be a break from activism rather than a call to arms. The 72-year-old, who represents artists ranging from Blondie to Phil Collins, told Sky News: "We're purely about music and entertainment, and we are to switch off from politics for three or four days. We're in the business of entertaining people, not preaching to people. And I don't understand why people attempt to. That's a different forum." Giddings, who relaunched the iconic festival after it was outlawed by authorities in 1970, fearing the crowds and rowdy behaviour could detract from the island, may be keen to avoid political controversy, but he's keen to break the mould in other areas. Following a long line of stars before him, including Bob Dylon, Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell, singer Emmanuel Kelly has become the first physically differently-abled artist to perform on the Isle of Wight Festival's Main Stage. The 31-year-old former X Factor star, who supported Coldplay on their Music Of The Spheres tour last year, says as far as accessibility is concerned, the Isle of Wight Festival is a trailblazer. Kelly tells Sky News: "Somebody that's different is on the stage and is able to show the world that anything's possible." Echoing the festival's early rebel roots, he credits it with being a "disruptor", adding, "They make the extra effort to teach the others around the world to make the extra effort as well… It's important and it's happening and I'm excited for it." The Isle of Wight Festival runs until Sunday 22 June, with the Glastonbury Festival kicking off on 25 June.