Lewis Capaldi was muted while on stage at the Brit Awards in what appeared to be a humorous stunt.
The chart-topping singer-songwriter, 24, appeared before the crowd at London’s O2 Arena to present Dua Lipa with the best album prize for her record Future Nostalgia, the final gong of the night.
However, the Scottish star soon descended into a light-hearted but sweary rant aimed at the audience, viewers at home and himself.
Soon a mute sign appeared to viewers as Capaldi was repeatedly silenced by the show organisers, in an apparent nod to the common experience on video-calling platforms.
After continuing his foul-mouthed speech, which came after the TV watershed, he added: ‘Hello Brit Awards! That’s where we are. I’m really sorry, I’m reading off a card here. How is everyone doing?”
Earlier in the show, host Jack Whitehall had also been muted to comic effect during one monologue in which he thanked the key workers in the audience.
Capaldi recently postponed all his 2021 live shows to focus on recording a follow-up to his chart-topping debut album.
He released Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent in May 2019, spawning the number one single Someone You Loved and spending 10 weeks in the album chart top spot.
But in March he announced he will only return with new music and a supporting tour in 2022.