British Airways has withdrawn its adverts from Louis Theroux’s podcast following an interview with punk singer Bob Vylan, who has been outspoken about Israel’s war on Gaza.
The airline said the podcast episode violated its sponsorship policy on politically sensitive content. “Our sponsorship of the series has now been paused and the advert has been removed,” a British Airways spokesperson told the Press Association. The company added it is investigating how the episode was aired.
Vylan, frontman of the band Bob Vylan, described the move as a “scare tactic” aimed at silencing him. He said, “They have resorted to lobbying for Louis’ sponsorship to be pulled in an attempt to scare others out of giving me a platform.”
Earlier this year, Vylan caused controversy during the Glastonbury Festival when he led a chant calling for “death” to the Israel Defense Forces. The incident led to multiple festival cancellations, a revoked US tour visa, and dropped performances in Germany and the UK.
Speaking for the first time since the backlash, Vylan said he does not regret his actions. “I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow – twice on Sundays,” he said, adding that his support comes from Palestinian friends and people affected by the conflict.
The episode with Theroux was recorded in October 2025. Vylan remains unapologetic about his political statements and says he continues to speak out despite the consequences.
