TV & Showbiz

M&S issues apology as it pulls 2023 Christmas advert outtake over Palestinian flag controversy

The retailer clarified in an official statement that the TV advert was filmed back in August.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 3rd November 2023

M&S has pulled an outtake post from its 2023 Christmas advert after being hit with strong backlash for showing burning paper hats that resembled the Palestinian flag.

The retailer has also publicly apologised and addressed the controversy in an official statement.

As the distressing Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East – which began on 7 October after a deadly Hamas attack on Israel, and has since led to ongoing military action – continues to escalate by the day, with more than 1,400 Israelis and upwards of 9,000 Palestinians said to have lost their lives as a result of the conflict, official sources have declared, M&S has found itself in hot water over an outtake shared from its 2023 Christmas campaign.

With its slogan for the festive season being #LoveThismasNotThatmas, the retailer’s TV advert this year seems to be centred around the theme of encouraging customers to focus on enjoying themselves, rather than conforming to Christmas traditions they’re not so keen on.

People blowtorching Christmas cards, whacking a toy elf with a baseball bat, and shredding silver hats are just some of the scenes in the 2023 advert – which is fronted by Ted Lasso star, Hannah Waddingham.

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To give customers a glimpse behind the scenes at the advert – which also features singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, actress Zawe Ashton, Queer Eye’s Tan France, and more – M&S took to social media to share an outtake image from the advert to tease its imminent release.

The image depicted red, silver, and green Christmas paper hats being tossed into a burning fireplace.

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Hannah Waddingham in M&S’s Christmas clothing and home advert for 2023 / Credit: M&S

The post was accompanied on social media with the caption: “This Christmas, do what you love… like saying no to paper hats” – with the hashtag #LoveThismasNotThatmas at the end.

Given the current contentious climate, people subsequently began to point-out on social media that the choice of colours of the paper hats resembled the colours of the Palestinian flag – leading to M&S making the decision to pull the post, and addressing the situation in its defence in an official statement.

The retailer has palso issued a public apology “for any unintentional hurt caused” alongside its statement.

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Once again taking to social media, M&S’s statement reads: “Today we shared an outtake image from our Christmas Clothing and Home advert, which was recorded in August.

“It showed traditional, festive coloured red, green and silver Christmas paper party hats in a fire grate.

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“While the intent was to playfully show that some people just don’t enjoy wearing paper Christmas hats over the festive season, we have removed the post following feedback, and we apologise for any unintentional hurt caused.

Featured Image – M&S

TV & Showbiz

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to step down from Strictly Come Dancing

Danny Jones Danny Jones Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepping down from Strictly Come Dancing

Long-serving Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced that they will be stepping down from the beloved reality TV competition after more than three decades between them.

The Strictly team will, of course, ‘keep dancing’, but this still feels like the end of an era.

While Claudia Winkleman only became a joint co-anchor back in 2010 in preparation for the legendary Sir Bruce Forsyth’s eventual retirement in 2014, Tess Daly has been one of the two lead presenters since the hit smash-hit UK show first started way back in 2004.

Boasting a cumulative and incredible 31 years as the respective lead faces on one of the nation’s favourite IPs, Daly and Winkleman released a joint video on their social media pages confirming the bittersweet news.

Writing in the caption on Instagram, the pair said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together, and now feels like the right time.

“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series, and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.

“They’re the most brilliant team, and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’, but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”

Although Winkleman, 53, began as the presenter of the spin-off programme ‘It Takes Two’, it now seems hard to imagine the main show without either of them.

Confirming that they will be departing the British telly favourite at the end of the current series, which is around a month into its 23rd series.

Daly, 56, went on to share a further statement addressing the decision to quit the Strictly lineup after such a lengthy stay on BBC One.

It goes without saying that, much like when ‘Brucey’ left 11 years ago now, the show just won’t be the same without them.

For now, all we can say is thanks for all the memories, and we’d better see them back in the ballroom or popping up for special cameos in Blackpool again one day soon.

What do you make of the announcement, Strictly fans – and who do you think should replace them?

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Featured Images — BBC Media Centre/Screenshot (via BBC)

TV & Showbiz

Jürgen Klopp reveals the main reason he turned down the Manchester United job

Danny Jones Danny Jones The reason why Jurgen Klopp turned down the Man United manager job

Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has revealed one of the main reasons he turned down the Manchester United job more than a decade ago.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund boss turned Merseyside hero spent nine years at Anfield, going on to win a Champions League, Premier League, and a collection of cups.

It’s also worth noting that this all came in the years following the departure of legendary Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but there could have been an alternate reality where Klopp carried on where ‘Fergie’ left off, as the now 58-year-old says the club spoke to him during that time.

With Sir Alex leaving in 2013 after the best part of 30 years, Klopp told Steven Bartlett on his most recent Diary of A CEO episode that “of course, they were interested.”

Admitting that the interest was mutual “at one point”, the prospect of joining Liverpool‘s historic rivals clearly appealed to him.

Noting that he was flourishing as an up-and-coming coach (aged 46 back then) in charge of an impressive Dortmund team – adding that even some of his then future players to be at Liverpool flew to watch them play in the Champions League – it’s clear he had plenty of suitors.

However, the retired German footballer turned ‘Gegenpressing’ tactician goes on to explain that despite United trying to poach him from the Bundesliga, it was “the wrong time, wrong moment for me.”

Crucially, he says that some aspects of the conversations between him and the club at the time proved to be a turn-off rather than an incentive, citing talk of ‘the biggest club in the world’ and supposedly “signing any player we want.”

In short, Klopp says that, crucially, it didn’t sound like it would have been his project, drawing parallels to the board wanting to bring back players like Paul Pogba, with arguably similar ‘mistakes’ being made with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo. In his eyes, looking backwards simply “never helps”.

You can see the clip in full here:

Had he not turned down the offer, do you think Klopp could have helped rebuild Man United?

According to Klopp, after negotiations seemed to revolve primarily around the kind of players they were going to bring in, he decided the opportunity wasn’t for him.

Nevertheless, it looked like things worked out for Merseyside’s biggest club, at least, as he went on to become one of the most successful managers in the Premier League, managing to break up the long period of dominance overseen by both Manchester United and, most recently, Man City.

As for the red half of Manchester, they at the very least had a good weekend as they finally ended their long wait for a win away against Liverpool.

In case you missed it, you can watch the highlights – including another big clutch goal from Harry Maguire – down below.

What an ending that was, eh?

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Diary of a CEO (screenshots via YouTube)/Tim Reckmann (via WikiCommons)

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