Lily Allen had been due to appear on the BBC's Newsnight last night but her appearance was cancelled following comments she made earlier that evening about the Grenfell Tower fire.
Speaking on Channel 4 News, the singer and Labour supporter didn't hold back on who she thought was to blame for the tragedy in Kensington.
Allen accused the government of withholding the true number of fatalities, which has so far been reported as 17. She said: “I have never in my entire life seen an event like this where the death count has been downplayed by the mainstream media."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Allen continued: “17? I'm sorry but I'm hearing from people that the figure is much closer to 150, and that many of those people are children.
“Those are off-the-record numbers I've been given from policemen and from firemen.”
Interviewer Jon Snow, playing devil's advocate, suggested the current death toll was due to the difficulties of identifying bodies, to which Allen responded later on Twitter: “I appreciate the difficulties with identifying bodies, but there are people out here clinging to hope when I don't think there is any."
Just a few hours later, she tweeted that Newsnight had cancelled her appearance on the show and had "someone from the council coming on instead".
I'm sad to say @BBCNewsnight just cancelled me for tonight's show. They have someone from the council coming on instead.
— lily #labourtine? (@lilyallen) June 15, 2017
Following her appearance on Channel 4 News, she had also posted a note on Twitter explaining why she was linking tragedy to politics. She called the remains of the burned-down building "a horrendous metaphor for how the Conservatives are running this country."
I am politicizing #Grenfell tower because, it is governmental policies that have lead to so many unnecessary deaths. pic.twitter.com/9kqVMpiQkQ
— lily #labourtine? (@lilyallen) June 15, 2017
Other public figures have also drawn links between politics and the fatal fire. Mobo award-winning rapper and poet Akala said people died "because they [were] poor". “There is no way rich people live in a building without adequate fire safety," he said. Singer Cerys Matthews tweeted that the disaster occurred as a result of "community buildings being sold off, and sub parr [sic.] refurbishment and builds being offered in return."
Here's whats happening. Community buildings being sold off, and sub parr refurbishment and builds being offered in return.#GrenfellTower
— Cerys Matthews (@cerysmatthews) June 14, 2017