The 2026 BRIT Awards took an unexpected turn when Sombr was shoved off a podium mid-performance at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena.
On February 28, the 20-year-old, born Shane Boose, was performing his single, Undressed, in a hot pink suit when a man rushed the stage and pushed him hard in front of the live audience.
Within seconds, the clip of the incident flooded social media, with several netizens voicing their disbelief.
The internet was split over Sombr’s mid-performance attack, calling it a publicity stunt
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The singer-songwriter, who was nominated for international artist and international song, was performing his song when a man wearing a t-shirt that read “Sombr is a homewrecker” pushed him. Security guards immediately dragged the man away.
However, viewers were instantly stunned by the incident, though many quickly accused Sombr of staging it to gain attention.
“This is so fake and stupid,” one wrote, while another added, “Did he even try make it look real?”
“He flew off like an autumn leaf,” wrote one commenter. “Sorry, this is so rehearsed and planned, it’s obvious they’re doing it for a cute little viral moment.”
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“His new song is called homewrecker, very staged. Clever way to get headlines too,” added one netizen.
Meanwhile, others leaned toward a bit harsher criticism. “So embarrassing having to set up a fake attack to get some media attention, what a loser,” said one.
“So he is just gonna use the thing that literally happens to female artists as a way to get attention for his horrible performance,” another wrote.
Sombr’s rep made a statement on the chaos later.
Sombr’s representative admitted the incident was staged to promote his song Homewrecker
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Shortly after the performance, Sombr’s rep confirmed to Variety that the altercation was planned.
The remark on the man’s t-shirt was a direct reference to his latest single, Homewrecker.
The staged shove created deliberate tension between Undressed and Back to Friends, and immediately generated headlines.
BRITs host Jack Whitehall joked after the performance, stating, “Such a shame we didn’t have the security ready.”
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Sombr also leaned into the narrative on TikTok, posting a video with the caption, “so I am pretty sure the guy that just rushed (to) the stage during my performance is the boyfriend of the girl that this song is about,” with Homewrecker playing in the background.
For the night, Sombr was nominated for International Artist of the Year and International Song of the Year, joining a lineup that included Harry Styles, ROSALÍA, Mark Ronson, and Lola Young.
Though he did not take home a trophy, his performance ensured he dominated post-show conversation.
BRITs’ viral moment came days after the BAFTA disruption sparked controversy
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The staged stunt unfolded just days after the 2026 BAFTA Awards were disrupted by an outburst involving racial slurs during a live broadcast.
John Davidson, a man identified as a Tourette’s syndrome advocate, shouted an N-word from the audience at Sinners star, Michael B. Jordan, and Delroy Lindo, while the two were at the podium.
The moment was apparently not censored during the initial airing and immediately made major headlines across social media.
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Though Davidson later apologized for his outburst, adding, “I can only add that I am and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.”
At BRITs, Whitehall referenced the controversy at the start of the award, quipping, “There may be some swearing, but don’t worry, we’ve got the best in the business on the bleep button. It’s the guy who did the BAFTAs. Nothing gets past him.”
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