Leicester Church of England: A preacher asked me out and then started stalking me
It seemed like a harmless encounter.It was the summer of 2021, and Jay Hulme, a volunteer at St Nicholas Church in Leicester, was on the door, welcoming people. That's when Venessa walked in."There was something awkward about her," he recalls. "But I assumed it was about being in a new church with new people, and we were just coming out of the pandemic. There was no red flag."Venessa Pinto, employed by the Leicester diocese of the Church of England as a lay preacher - a non-ordained person who can lead worship - returned a few more times to Jay's church.A few weeks later, they both happened to be at a midweek service in Leicester Cathedral. When it was over, she approached him and asked to speak privately. They stepped into the quiet of the old cathedral graveyard.Then she asked him out."I was very taken aback, because I didn't know her. And I was like, 'I'm gay, but thank you for asking.' But she asked me if it was because she was black."Jay was startled by the question. He gently reiterated that he could not go out on a date because he was gay - and also not in the right place for a relationship."I left it thinking, 'That was very awkward', but I think, 'That's the end of that.'"It wasn't.In fact, it was the beginning of a devastating campaign of stalking and harassment. And when Jay complained, the highest authority in the Church in Leicester - a top contender to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury - said he didn't believe him. Instead, he accused Jay of witchcraft.
'Vile man'
That summer, Jay Hulme, then in his mid-twenties, was at a very happy juncture in his life. He was a poet and author, an assistant warden at the LGBT-friendly St Nicholas Church and known on social media for his love of church buildings and theology.He was exploring his Christian faith and considering the possibility of training to become a priest in the coming years."I'm also trans, I'd come out a number of years before, and I'd finally come to a place of full and complete happiness with who I was. I saw my future unfurling before me in a way that had felt impossible before," he reminisces.After being rejected, Venessa, also then in her mid-twenties, sent Jay a series of "angry and accusatory" messages, saying he was gossiping about her. Though he tried to reassure her he wasn't, she was adamant.To try to resolve things, Jay agreed to a demand from her to meet. He had been determined that the meeting happened outside in public but a heavy rainstorm meant they ended up inside, alone together at her place of work.He says she yelled at him, telling him he was a liar, a racist and an awful person - demanding an apology over and over again without telling him what he was supposed to have done.Unsettled, Jay stopped interacting with Venessa and avoided her when she continued to come to his church. But then he started to get messages from anonymous online accounts which could be seen by his social media followers.
Jay quickly worked out the author was Venessa. She even sent him an email from her personal account apologising for what she described as the "pain" she'd caused.But the nastiness online escalated, with Venessa publicly making false allegations and threats.
Jay was concerned for his safety. He reported the harassment to Leicestershire Police. He says he didn't want Venessa prosecuted at that point - just for the abuse to stop.But he heard nothing back and the abuse continued relentlessly. Each time he blocked an account, another would spring up. Jay felt he had no way of escaping it."I felt like she was in my pocket, and in my house, and in my brain all of the time, saying these horrendous things and I couldn't get away," he says.Jay needed to stay online because of his writing and speaking commitments. But he was beginning to lose contracts. He suspects that was because of the allegations about him online.Finally, weeks after reporting it, the police did visit Venessa. The outcome was far from satisfactory for Jay."She told the officer that it was her friends who were sending the messages, and the officer told her to tell them to stop. I was told by the police that I should just delete my social media," he says.Jay says he got the impression the police did not appreciate the seriousness of the abuse because it was online.
Stalker books onto same retreat
The police visit triggered even more angry messages from Venessa.Jay then started assembling a powerful body of evidence, now on a mission to prove the messages had not been sent by Venessa's friends, but by Venessa herself.He compiled a detailed spreadsheet setting out the connections between the numerous anonymous accounts which had sent abuse or posted allegations about him. They all led back to Venessa.Having lost faith in the police, Jay handed all this evidence to the Church of England, which promised to investigate his formal complaint.While he waited, he thought he would get some respite by going to a silent Jesuit retreat in rural Wales. Days later, a colleague told him Venessa had booked to go to the very same retreat.Jay had booked last minute and says there were not many slots left. "It's in the middle of nowhere. As far as I'm concerned there is no way that could have happened naturally."Jay left the retreat just hours before Venessa arrived. It left him terrified, feeling the stalking had now gone beyond the confines of the internet.
Accused of witchcraft
Finally, there was some positive news for Jay.Back in Leicester, the Church HR investigation concluded Venessa had been responsible for the abuse, to Jay's huge relief. He assumed that would be the end of it.But almost as soon as that happened, there was an unexpected turn.He was called into a meeting with the Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow - who's seen as a favourite to become the next Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England.
Jay thought Venessa was going to lose her job. But it turned out the bishop had conducted his own investigation."I go in and the bishop sits down with this thick folder on his knee. And he begins to question me about my complaint. He actually states that 'It's he said, she said'."The bishop said he didn't believe that Venessa had been responsible for the harassment. And he wouldn't uphold Jay's complaint against her.Then he made an extraordinary accusation about Jay."Somebody had given a statement that I had been seen in the church, in the darkness, with a candle – and they thought I was conducting a seance. For clarity, I was praying with a candle in the dark, because that's a thing that Christians do," says Jay.It got worse.Bishop Snow accused him of practising witchcraft - both because of the "seance" and the fact Jay happened to have a close friend who was a tarot card reader."It felt like an enormous gut punch. These made-up allegations were being presented to me by a person with the power of a bishop, in a meeting which I suddenly realised I had no control over," says Jay."She [Venessa] had somehow managed to make a bishop become part of her stalking campaign of harassment and threats, and use his power and position, and I couldn't believe it was happening."Jay says he was told Venessa would not lose her licence to preach, but he would be punished.
He says Bishop Snow told him the process to begin his training for priesthood – something he decided he wanted to pursue – would be "slowed down".Jay was devastated. He went home feeling trapped. And after the complaint was dismissed, more messages were posted."Really horrific things, saying that I raped children, that I stole money, that I was a racist, a bully. She created fake accounts that were me saying really racist things and would then screenshot them and share those things," he says.Bishop Snow suggested to Jay that his allegations were not in keeping with Venessa's character. But Jay soon learned he wasn't the only person affected by Venessa's behaviour.
Complaints 'from 30 people'
A colleague who worked closely with Venessa, Kat Gibson, had been complaining about her for more than a year before the campaign against Jay began.Kat says Venessa was unpredictable and adversarial in the extreme. "I was just really scared when I was around her, thinking, 'what's she going to explode at me for this time?' with these explosive angry outbursts that I can't prevent."She adds that as the months went on, "around 30 people" from eight churches approached her to informally complain about Venessa's behaviour. She calls the issue an "open secret" but one that managers felt unable to tackle.In a joint statement, Kat's manager, Lusa Nsenga Ngoy - now a bishop in London - and Leicester Diocese said pastoral support and counselling were offered to those affected. The Church of England says Kat's complaints were treated with care and seriousness.
She was a lay preacher in Leicester, but Venessa soon gained increasing prominence on a national level.In 2022, several months into her stalking campaign against Jay Hulme, she was elected onto the Church of England's national assembly – the General Synod.Soon after, she was one of just a handful of people from Synod appointed to the Crown Nominations Commission, a panel that selects new bishops and archbishops. But all the while, she was sending countless sinister messages to Jay.
The online harassment from Venessa now included extreme pornographic content posted on his social media. Then she tweeted Jay's address.He went to the police a second time, but again felt no sense of urgency."There was a period where every night, I would wake up screaming because I dreamed that I was being murdered by Venessa. I had extra locks put on my door," Jay says.
Apologies and conviction
Though there appeared to be inaction, behind the scenes the Church was clearly starting to realise it had a problem on its hands.While Jay had been told in summer 2022 that a Leicester Diocese investigation found Venessa had been responsible for Jay's harassment, he was also told that the Bishop of Leicester decided quite the opposite.The BBC has now learned that shortly before that, the bishop did tell Venessa to step back from ministry because of "her behaviour", though it is not known what this refers to.He also later revoked her licence to preach, after what's described as "new evidence" coming to light. The diocese also suggested she go on leave.But none of these things were made public and did not stop the unrelenting stalking of Jay.
All of a sudden, in late 2022, Leicester Diocese announced Venessa would be leaving.It said she would "pursue other opportunities" and thanked her for the positive contributions she had made.Again, this appeared to have no impact on the hate-filled barrages coming Jay's way."I wrote my own will because…I felt that I'd been let down by the police, I'd been let down by the diocese and as far as I was concerned, this would continue until one of us died," he says.In desperation, in December 2022 he went to the police again.In March 2023, 21 months after the stalking campaign against Jay began (and eight months after the Bishop of Leicester told Jay he did not believe him) the police finally took action against Venessa."I get a phone call from Leicestershire Police [who] basically acknowledged that they made a mess of it. And very soon Venessa was arrested. Her devices were confiscated," says Jay.In a statement, Leicestershire Police acknowledged their initial response fell short of the standards expected, adding it continued "to develop its knowledge and training in relation to preventing and detecting stalking offences".By the end of 2023, Venessa had been charged. In May 2024 she pleaded guilty to stalking, involving serious distress or harm and was given an 18-month community order and banned from contacting Jay for a year.
After Venessa's conviction, Jay asked for a meeting with the Bishop of Leicester, Martyn Snow, who now apologised. "He did acknowledge in some way his own part in it and that he should have done better, and I agree," says Jay.Leicester Diocese told us it took legal advice and is confident it followed HR practice and due process in handling Jay's complaint. But wouldn't say why it did not sack Venessa for months after concluding she had sent the messages to Jay.A spokesperson for the Church of England says they are "appalled by the serious criminal behaviour that led to Venessa Pinto's conviction."Venessa's colleague Kat Gibson was recently made redundant from her post in Leicester. She says she's much better, physically and mentally, and is pleased to be out of Church of England employment.
'Everybody failed to protect me'
And what of Venessa Pinto? Having carried out her community service and abided by the restraining order, she is once again preaching – and has also done missionary work in Brazil.In a statement to the BBC she said one aspect of the court case in particular changed everything for her."Reading [Jay's] victim impact statement brought into sharp focus the pain I caused and strengthened my resolve to take responsibility and make amends," Venessa says."I acknowledge the seriousness of my past conduct and do not seek to diminish its impact. I have moved forward in my life and hope those affected in Leicester and elsewhere can find it in their hearts to allow space for healing and growth," she says.But while Venessa admits to the harassment she was convicted of, she denies some other allegations, including the frequent angry outbursts Kat and others reported. In fact she says accusations of aggressive behaviour were never formally raised with her in Leicester.Venessa says she was going through a difficult period and was struggling with her mental health during her time in Leicester.
Her targeting of Jay has left him scarred. He struggles to open his email for fear of what he'll find and he says his finances have been destroyed by years of sporadic work."I feel that everybody failed to protect me. I almost feel like I was naive that when the police failed to protect me, I thought the Church, which talks about safeguarding, [would]," says Jay."It fails because people are scared to do the right thing. In James, my favourite book of the Bible, there's a bit that says that anybody who knows the right thing and fails to do it, commits sin. And that's the problem at the heart of this Church."
A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘Like Fort Knox' fume shoppers as major UK supermarket slaps security tags on £2 HAM to foil shoplifters
A SHOPPER was fuming after finding security tags on £2 ham at a major supermarket to foil shoplifters A shocked Tesco customer spotted the yellow stickers on a range of meat. 4 4 They had "security protected" written on them. The cheapest items they were on were £2.50 Honey Roast Ham. But customers can buy two for £4, making them £2 each. The same deal was on slices of roast beef. They cost £2.75 but were again £2 each when buying two under the deal. The tags were also on bigger packs of Honey Roast Ham for £2.65. Chicken fillets priced at £2.75 had them too. Plus Tesco Finest Wiltshire Cured Ham - £3.75 or two for £6 - which were £3 each. Blocks of Cheddar cheese costing £3.35 were also available. As well as Gammon, priced at £4.50. "It's like Fort Knox in there,' dad Dylan John, 48, told What's The Jam. "You can't move without security keeping a beady eye on you. "I only pooped in for a lettuce and felt like Ronnie Kray walking round the aisles." Astonishing moment Tesco staff lob metal baskets and crates at shoplifter They were spotted in Tesco Express, in Central Drive, Blackpool, Lancs. The mini supermarket is in the shadows of the town's seaside resort's Blackpool Tower. In March 2023, the anti-theft measures were put on ham, but then the cheapest were £2.35. Mince and pork were also tagged. Tesco said putting security tags on certain items isn't new, but it varies from store to store. It comes after footage showed the moment a Tesco worker hurled baskets and storage boxes at a pair of crooks. The cause of the incident is unknown, but shoppers were left shaken after the terrifying standoff took place. The incident seemingly began in a tame manner, with a security guard telling two men to exit the Tesco store in Finsbury Park, North London. He can be heard on the video saying: 'Take your stuff and go.' Next, one of the men ejected from the store fired back with 'f*** you' prompting the security guard to make a chilling threat. The security guard can be heard saying: 'You come next time and I'll f*** your a** up, okay? Call the police.' Then, the two men volleyed an unidentified object at the Tesco store - prompting the security guard to fire back with an empty storage tray. Tensions reached a boiling point when the men threw yet another storage tray, causing a uniformed worker to hurl a metal basket at them. Finally, the two men toppled a metal shelf which was standing outside the store before hurling another object into the shop. 4
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The government should act now to stop the police destruction of archived evidence
I had the privilege of representing two of the striking miners indicted for riot following events at the Orgreave coke plant near Sheffield in June 1984. In April last year, shortly before the election of a Labour party that was known to be promising a public inquiry, Northumbria police destroyed 'two boxes containing documents/records in relation to the miners' strike and Orgreave' (Northumbria police destroy Battle of Orgreave and other miners' strike files, 24 June). The force claims to have done so because the records 'were outside of the retention period' and that the destruction was 'in line with force policy and the Data Protection Act 2018'. It is not presently known if any of the other forces deployed at Orgreave have also destroyed documents. The 'authorised professional practice' issued by the College of Policing in 2023 in relation to review, retention and disposal of material that has 'historical value and enduring public interest' or which may be required 'for academic ... or statistical purposes' is that such material 'should be archived', irrespective of the fact that the retention period has expired. Moreover, the Data Protection Act and its regulations expressly allow for the retention of such material. The egregious examples of police misconduct on the day are now well-known. At trial it was finally conceded that a South Yorkshire detective had literally dictated the script to officers sitting at desks in what became known as 'the schoolroom'. An inquiry may further reveal the role of the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office. But not if police forces are simply allowed to unilaterally destroy the evidence in advance. The government should immediately act to prevent Rees KCLondon Government papers stored at the National Archives are sometimes withheld or weeded, but are an essential tool for research historians. It is disturbing to read that Northumbria police have destroyed files relating to Orgreave. This may have conformed with a document retention process, but Sherlock Holmes will not be required to work out why it happened just before the election of a government committed to an inquiry into the events that took place at Orgreave. Perhaps the home secretary could ensure that no further police files are destroyed before the inquiry takes place, if necessary by requiring copies to be lodged with the civil servants responsible for setting it up. A democratic society needs an accurate record of its history, even if it may be an uncomfortable one for Keith FlettLondon Socialist Historians Group Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Kneecap lead Glastonbury chants of 'F*** Keir Starmer' and urge crowds to riot in Westminster court when one of the Irish rappers next appears on Hezbollah flag charge
Controversial Irish band, Kneecap, led chants of 'F*** Keir Starmer' and urged crowds to riot in the Westminster courts during their headline set at Glastonbury Festival yesterday. The group's lead rapper, Liam O'Hanna, 27, whose stage name is Mo Chara, is on unconditional bail after being charged with terrorism for supporting Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist organisation. Addressing the charges to more than 30,000 revellers at Worthy Farm, his band mate Naoise Ó Cairealláin, known as Moglai Bap, said: 'Mo Chara is back in court for a trumped up terrorism charge. 'It's not the first time there has been a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British justice system. So now you know he's available on the 20th August at Westminster, support Mo Chara and let's start a riot in the courts.' Later on in the hour long set, Mo Chara said: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play so f*** Keir Starmer,' before leading a chant against him. The band's third member DJ Provai, whose real name is J. J. Ó Dochartaigh, removed a red boiler suit to reveal a Palestine Action t-shirt - a group the government are preparing to ban under UK anti-terrorism laws. The controversial Irish language band took to social media an hour before their performance and posted a photo of DJ Provai wearing the shirt which read 'We are all Palestine Action' after the government moved to proscribe the organisation, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action. Tensions had already been running high before the set began as they were preceded by the hip hop duo, Bob Vylan, who led chants of 'Death to the IDF' the Israel Defence Force. As the trio walked onto the stage they played a compilation of their critics' voices over the speakers starting with a BBC broadcast announcing the terrorism charges against Mo Charah. It was followed by the former DUP leader, Arlene Foster, when she infamously said, 'I live rent free in their head' as she features on their posters and lyrics after she expressed they had 'overstepped the mark' with their comments about Hamas and Hezbollah. On their Instagram, the band put out a statement which read: 'The crowd expected today is far greater than West Holts capacity so 'You'll need to be very early to catch us father… very early.' The stage, which has a capacity for 30,000 people, was shut 47 minutes before the trio were due to perform to avoid severe overcrowding in the area. They also hit out at the BBC in the same statement calling it 'the propaganda wing of the regime'. It comes as Glastonbury bosses closed the stage where the controversial Irish language rap group performed yesterday amid crowd crush fears. The rap trio took to the West Holts stage at 4pm on Saturday, just over a week after one of their members appeared in court on terror charges. To finish their set, the group led chants of 'Free, Free Palestine' and 'f*** Keir Starmer' as the crowd was filled with flags supporting Gaza. Mo Chara, wearing a keffiyeh, said 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man' as the Irish rap trio took to the West Holts Stage. The group thanked the Eavis family for their support and attacked the British justice system for his arrest. Moglai Bap said: 'It's not the first time there has been a miscarriage of justice for an Irish in the British justice system. So now you know he's available on the 20th August at Westminster, support Mo Chara and let's start a riot in the Westminster courts.' Coming back shortly after he added: 'Just to clarify, I don't want anybody to start a riot.' The group has defended their previous provocative performances as 'satirical' ahead of performing at Glastonbury, as the BBC said it would not be livestreaming their set. Instead, thousands tuned into a stream of the show on TikTok by a middle-aged woman called Helen. Speaking to the packed-out crowd, the group said: ' Israel are war criminals. It's a genocide. 'I can see so many Palestine flags, the BBC editing, they are going to have some f***ing problems. 'Glastonbury I am so f***ing proud of you guys.' But some 45 minutes before their set was to start organisers were forced to shut off entry to the area surrounding the stage as it was already rammed with festivalgoers, many waving Irish or Palestinian flags. Despite organisers deploying extra precautions to prevent crowd crushing, insiders have told MailOnline Glastonbury bosses are concerned about instances of dangerous overcrowding. To tackle the festival-wide problem of overcrowding at stages, daughter of the co-founder Emily Eavis said they had sold 'a few thousand fewer tickets' and expanded the capacity of the stages. But a source close to the festival has told MailOnline: 'Crowd crushing is still a massive concern at Glastonbury, over the weekend there are several warnings that have been issued to workers to watch out for certain areas. 'The Woodsies stage is the biggest headache because they've misjudged acts like Lola Young and Lorde so it definitely was a bit touch and go on Friday.' The controversial Irish band, Kneecap, told fans to get to their set early on their Instagram because 'The crowd expected today is far greater than West Holts capacity.' Mo Chara, along with bandmates Naoise Ó Caireallain (Móglaí Bap), and JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Próvaí), have repeatedly argued controversy surrounding their performances is a distraction from the horrors endured by Palestinians amid Israel's war in Gaza. They said they are happy to lose income and clout in order to be 'on the right side of history', and said they hoped that 'being vocal and being unafraid' would encourage other bands to speak up on Palestine. As the trio took to the stage, they displayed a huge 'Free Palestine' message on the screen behind them. Mo Chara said: 'We understand how important it is to show solidarity. The Irish suffered 800 years of colonialism at the hand of the British state, boo. 'But guys we were never bombed from the skies with nowhere to go, the Palestinians have nowhere to f***ing go. Not only are they being bombed from the skies, they are now being starved to death. 'Kids are being starved to death in this day and age. I don't have the luxury of you people watching, we all have a phone, there's no f***ing hiding it - Israel are war criminals. And it's important I know sometimes, I'm seeing a lot of Palestinian flags here and it's what we're saying. 'The BBC are going to rescind you all. So sometimes we feel helpless and that we're not doing enough and that's probably true sometimes but the difference it makes for the people of Palestine when they see people from the other side of the world, this many people, screaming free Palestine. ' Their performance will not be live-streamed but is likely to be made available later on iPlayer, the BBC has said. The set list for performances on the stage aired on iPlayer does not acknowledge the band are playing - leaping from Bob Vylan at 14.30 straight to Yussef Dayes at 17.30. Senior Westminster politicians have criticised their participation in the popular music festival and called for them to be removed from the line-up, but festival bosses refused to do so. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not think it is 'appropriate' for Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury, while Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance. Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, appeared in court last week 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. Glastonbury organisers were forced to shut access to the stage 45 minutes before the set was due to begin due to overcrowding On June 18 the rapper was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. The band were also criticised following footage of a November 2023 gig allegedly showing a member saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.' He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on August 20. Ó hAnnaidh, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, said the videos only resurfaced after Kneecap performed at Coachella in April, where they said 'F*** Israel. Free Palestine '. Immediately before the set at Glastonbury on Saturday, artist Bob Vylan displayed a Palestine flag as he walked on stage. During the set, the singer led chants of 'free free Palestine', and 'death death to the IDF' in a show livestreamed on the BBC. A BBC spokesperson said: 'As the broadcast partner, the BBC is bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. 'While the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans ensure that our programming meets our editorial guidelines. We don't always live-stream every act from the main stages and look to make an on-demand version of Kneecap's performance available on our digital platforms, alongside more than 90 other sets.' Kemi Badenoch retweeted a post on X on Saturday criticising the BBC for saying it would likely put Kneecap's set on iPlayer It is understood the BBC needs to consider the performance before making a final decision. The band said on Instagram: 'The propaganda wing of the regime has just contacted us.... 'They WILL put our set from Glastonbury today on the iPlayer later this evening for your viewing pleasure.' But the group's loyal fanbase was left fuming by the news the performance would not be livestreamed. One said: 'Kneecap not going to be broadcast live from the BBC today, Jesus wept.' A second added: 'If the BBC can't broadcast #Glastonbury2025 live, as the licence fee paying public expect, then it's time to give the broadcasting rights to a provider who will. #Kneecap.' Another fan said: 'So the same BBC that gives a platform for genocide apologists every week, unchallenged by their pathetic 'reporters' will heavily edit KNEECAP'S set today and only show you what they think is relevant.' A fourth said: 'By trying to ban Kneecap all people are doing is highlighting their message. I dont like Kneecap but this Glasto/BBC charade has been pathetic.' In an interview with The Guardian newspaper ahead of Glastonbury, Ó hAnnaidh defended their performances as 'satirical'. 'It's a joke. I'm a character. Shit is thrown on stage all the time. If I'm supposed to know every f****** thing that's thrown on stage I'd be in Mensa,' he said. 'I don't know every proscribed organisation - I've got enough s**t to worry about up there. I'm thinking about my next lyric, my next joke, the next drop of a beat.' Asked about the 'dead Tory' comments, he said it was 'a joke' and 'we're playing characters'. 'It's satirical, it's a f****** joke. And that's not the point,' he said. 'The point is, that (video) wasn't an issue until we said 'Free Palestine' at Coachella. That stuff happened 18 months ago, and nobody batted an eyelid. 'Everybody agreed it was a f****** joke, even people that may have been in the room that didn't agree - it's a laugh, we're all having a bit of craic. 'The point is, and the context is, it all (resurfaced) because of Coachella. That's what we should be questioning, not whether I regret things.' Ó hAnnaidh added: 'If you believe that what a satirical band who play characters on stage do is more outrageous than the murdering of innocent Palestinians, then you need to give your head a f****** wobble.' Conservative Party leader Ms Badenoch previously said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance at the festival. She wrote in a post on X: '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.' Meanwhile 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.' Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis this week defended the decision to keep Kneecap in the line-up. Asked if the festival still stands for something, Sir Michael told Glastonbury Free Press, the festival's resident newspaper: 'Oh heaven's above, yes, of course it does. 'And I think the people that come here are into all those things. People that don't agree with the politics of the event can go somewhere else!' Formed in 2017, the group are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English. Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag. Elsewhere at the festival crowds were also a concern. Charli XCX tonight is expected to pull in a bigger crowd at the Other Stage which will exceed capacity after she was forced to play on the smaller stage than the Pyramid because her often provocative performances were unable to be broadcast on the BBC. The Woodsies stage was shut in advance of Lorde's surprise set on Friday morning with festival bosses urging people to stand up off the floor to make room while others were squeezed out. It comes after the Mail on Sunday published an account from a whistleblower at Glastonbury who raised the alarm on the overcrowding at the festival and said: 'It's a disaster waiting to happen. 'It's got to be a mixture of luck and a mixture of goodwill, the jewel in the UK's crown is actually something of a ticking time bomb.' Last year saw Sugababes shut down West Holts while secret set Kasabian caused chaos at Woodsies – then there was Avril Lavigne whose fans flooded the Other Stage area. 'Worst-case scenario, people are going to die, I think we are going to have some massive issues this year.' Glastonbury Festival responded and told Mailonline: 'As always, Glastonbury 2025 will have a robust, dynamic crowd management plan in place, with crowd safety paramount at the Festival. 'Our team works year-round on crowd management, which is at the forefront of all decisions and planning for the site and artist bookings. 'Our proactive crowd management team monitors data (including from the official Glastonbury app line-up planner) for information on potential act popularity for weeks in advance of the Festival and develops a comprehensive crowd management plan accordingly. 'At the Festival, our dedicated, 500-strong crowd management team is overseen by a team of world-leading experts and works closely with all relevant agencies and authorities, establishing plans and procedures against all possible outcomes, with detailed plans developed for certain areas and scenarios, even if the likelihood of them being used is very low.' They added that their team 'utilises state-of-the-art crowd monitoring systems to ensure that at all times of day and night crowd safety is at the forefront of everyone's minds, with a far greater capacity to respond to issues than might be found in the rest of the sector.'
