Pop singer Ellie Goulding has declared that demonstrations against migrant accommodation facilities leave her feeling “ashamed” of her nationality.
The 38-year-old artist posted on Instagram on Wednesday, sharing footage of protesters gathered outside a Holiday Inn that houses asylum seekers.
The video depicted demonstrators waving English and Union Jack flags whilst chanting “send them back” as police officers formed a barrier at the hotel entrance. Ms Goulding captioned the post: “Embarrassed to be a Brit right now.”
The singer’s comments arrive during a period of heightened anti-immigration sentiment that has sparked demonstrations at asylum seeker accommodations throughout Britain.
Goulding soon followed up her initial post with a second, in which she argued that demonstrators claim to act “for the ‘women and children'” before she challenged this justification.
She said: “I’m a pretty tough girl, but when I think about the times I’ve been the most intimidated in London or anywhere else in the UK, whether on the tube/train or walking with friends late at night, it involves those kinds of British men, either after a night at the pub, post boxing or football match.”
The musician urged protesters to “stop using immigration as an excuse to be appalling” and suggested that those genuinely concerned about Britain should “go and get a National Trust membership for real.”
Recent weeks have witnessed escalating confrontations at asylum accommodation sites. On Saturday, five individuals faced arrest after masked men attempted to breach the Crowne Hotel in West Drayton, causing damage to security infrastructure. Metropolitan Police officers already stationed at the location requested additional support to prevent entry.
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The group subsequently targeted a Novotel on Cherry Lane and a Holiday Inn nearby. Three arrests followed, with authorities establishing cordons throughout the surrounding areas. Two officers sustained minor injuries during the incidents.
The demonstrations have prompted government intervention, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer posting on social media platform X on Tuesday: “I want to see every asylum hotel closed.” His administration has committed to accelerating efforts to achieve this objective, though many communities consider the response insufficient.
At least 19 councils have announced intentions to pursue legal proceedings to remove asylum seekers from local hotels, including four Labour-controlled authorities and all 12 under Reform UK control.
The situation intensified following a High Court decision that overturned an initial ruling by Epping Forest District Council to evict asylum seekers from a hotel.
Reform leader Nigel Farage responded by claiming illegal migrants possessed greater rights than British citizens under Mr Starmer’s leadership, whilst Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of “putting the rights of illegal immigrants above the rights of British people.”
After Ms Goulding’s comments went viral on social media, several members of the public took issue with the millionaire singer’s condemnation of those protesting.
On X, one person fumed: “Ellie Goulding has an estimated net worth of approximately $30-40 million. She has also lived in some of the most affluent areas of London, which are not particularly diverse.
“This absurd pedestal of moral superiority that so many celebrities place themselves on, as they look down and judge the so-called ‘plebs’ beneath them, is nothing more than hypocrisy and posturing. In the words of Ricky Gervais ‘You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world.'”
A second echoed: “Ellie Goulding says migrant hotel protesters make her embarrassed to be British and accuses demonstrators of ‘using immigration as an excuse to be appalling’. I am sure migrants are not a problem for her in her Cotswold Mansion!”
Meanwhile, a third sarcastically penned: “Newsflash: Multi-millionaire who married a billionaire, and who never has to take public transport, apply for benefits, house, health care, complains about British plebs.”
“How many is she housing and paying for? Oh, she means we should pay for it all while she lives in one of her many mansions spending her millions,” added a fourth, while a fifth fumed: “I’m ashamed that Ellie Goulding calls herself British…” (sic)
