Noel Gallagher blasted by charity for ‘casual abuse’ of disabled people

Noel Gallagher has been criticised by a disability charity after the star revealed he ‘blagged’ his way onto the accessible platform at Glastonbury.

The former Oasis star said in a podcast that he used his Access All Areas pass to bypass security so he could watch Jamie T’s performance from the viewing area, which is reserved for disabled people.

Though Noel said his group didn’t realise it was the disabled platform, he’s since been criticised for comments he made about the incident.

The 55-year-old rocker told Matt Morgan on his podcast: “We couldn’t get to the bit on stage because we were f***ing wasted.”

He added that he ‘flashed my pass and said this lot are with me and we walked on to this platform – unbeknownst to us it was the disabled platform’.

The Mirror reported that he said: “I said: ‘See that pass mate? It gets me any-f***ing-where,” and joked that he ‘would have’ tipped someone out of a wheelchair for a prime spot.

Read more: Beloved Chorlton takeaway that ‘paved the way for vegan junk food’ announces closure

Warren Kirwan, media manager at disability equality charity Scope, said: “The casual abuse and belittling of disabled people in this interview is vile. There is no excuse for this kind of language.

“On top of that, accessible platforms aren’t for privileged rock stars and their friends. These platforms exist so that disabled people can enjoy live music – without them many of our festivals would simply be off limits.”

Scope added on Twitter: “Noel may belittle the experience of disabled music fans. But for many, the reality of attending live music and festivals can be stressful and upsetting.”

Featured image: BBC