Pop star Ellie Goulding has sparked fierce backlash after declaring herself “embarrassed to be a Brit” over demonstrations at migrant accommodation facilities, with critics pointing to the millionaire singer’s disconnect from communities facing the impact of asylum hotels.
The 38-year-old artist posted on Instagram on Wednesday, sharing footage of protesters gathered outside a Holiday Inn housing asylum seekers. The video showed demonstrators waving English and Union Jack flags whilst chanting “send them back” as police officers formed barriers at the hotel entrance.
Ms Goulding’s intervention comes as violent confrontations erupted at asylum accommodation sites across Britain, with five arrests made on Saturday after masked men attempted to breach the Crowne Hotel in West Drayton, causing damage to security infrastructure and injuring two police officers.
Singer’s Wealth Under Scrutiny
The “Starry Eyed” singer’s comments immediately drew criticism from members of the public who highlighted her estimated £30-40 million net worth and lifestyle disconnected from affected communities. Critics noted that Ms Goulding, who owns properties in the affluent Cotswolds and previously lived in exclusive areas of London, remains insulated from the impact of asylum accommodation in residential areas.
One social media user fumed: “Ellie Goulding has an estimated net worth of approximately $30-40 million. She has also lived in some of the most affluent areas of London, which are not particularly diverse. This absurd pedestal of moral superiority that so many celebrities place themselves on, as they look down and judge the so-called ‘plebs’ beneath them, is nothing more than hypocrisy and posturing.”
Another echoed the sentiment, writing: “Newsflash: Multi-millionaire who married a billionaire, and who never has to take public transport, apply for benefits, house, health care, complains about British plebs.
Violent Weekend Protests
The singer’s comments arrived during a period of escalating tensions at asylum accommodation sites. Metropolitan Police Commander Adam Slonecki confirmed that on Saturday, a group of approximately 500 protesters marched on the Crowne Plaza hotel in West Drayton, with masked men attempting to force entry through the rear entrance.
“We understand strength of feeling on these issues, but where peaceful protest crosses the line into criminality, including injuries to our officers, we will take immediate action,” Commander Slonecki stated. The group subsequently targeted a nearby Novotel on Cherry Lane and a Holiday Inn, prompting police to establish cordons throughout the surrounding areas.
Three individuals were arrested at the scene, with two more detained following the implementation of a Section 35 dispersal order. Officers sustained minor injuries during the confrontations, highlighting the increasingly volatile nature of the protests.
Government Under Pressure
The demonstrations have intensified pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who posted on social media platform X on Tuesday: “I want to see every asylum hotel closed.” Despite this pledge, his administration faces criticism for setting a 2029 target for ending hotel use, which many communities consider insufficient.
A YouGov poll for The Times revealed that 71% of voters believe the Prime Minister is handling the asylum hotel issue badly, including 56% of Labour supporters. The survey found 37% of voters viewed immigration and asylum as the most important issue facing the country, ahead of the economy at 25%.
At least 19 councils have announced intentions to pursue legal proceedings to remove asylum seekers from local hotels, including four Labour-controlled authorities and all 12 under Reform UK control. This follows a High Court decision that overturned an initial ruling by Epping Forest District Council to evict asylum seekers from a hotel following allegations of sexual assault involving a 14-year-old girl.
Goulding’s Follow-Up Comments
Ms Goulding doubled down on her position with a second post, claiming demonstrators use protecting “women and children” as justification whilst suggesting the real threat comes from British men. I’m a pretty tough girl, but when I think about the times I’ve been the most intimidated in London or anywhere else in the UK, whether on the tube/train or walking with friends late at night, it involves those kinds of British men, either after a night at the pub, post boxing or football match,” she wrote.
The musician urged protesters to “stop using immigration as an excuse to be appalling” and suggested those genuinely concerned about Britain should “go and get a National Trust membership for real.
Record Numbers Fuel Crisis
Official figures reveal the scale of the challenge facing the government. A record 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number since records began in 2001. Currently, 32,059 asylum seekers are housed in over 200 hotels across the UK at a cost of £5.77 million per day.
So far this year, 28,288 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats, representing a 46% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The backlog of asylum appeals has reached 51,000, with each case taking an average of more than a year to resolve.
Political Responses
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage responded to the crisis by claiming illegal migrants possessed greater rights than British citizens under Mr Starmer’s leadership. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of “putting the rights of illegal immigrants above the rights of British people.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has promised a “big surge” in asylum hotel closures in the new year, though specifics remain vague. Labour backbencher Jo White, chair of the party’s Red Wall group, urged faster action, stating: “There’s a commitment to close down the hotels by the end of the parliamentary term. I think we all want it to be a lot, lot quicker than that.”
Celebrity Activism History
Ms Goulding, who serves as a UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador, has a history of political activism. In 2014, she declined to perform at the Sochi Winter Olympics in protest of Vladimir Putin’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. She has also visited Ukraine as a guest of President Zelensky and spoken at climate conferences.
However, critics argue her latest intervention demonstrates a fundamental disconnect between wealthy celebrities and working-class communities bearing the brunt of government asylum policies. As one commenter sarcastically noted: “How many is she housing and paying for? Oh, she means we should pay for it all while she lives in one of her many mansions.”
The controversy underscores deepening divisions in British society over immigration policy, with communities facing the reality of asylum accommodation increasingly at odds with political and cultural elites perceived as insulated from its impacts.
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Image Credit:
Ellie Goulding – Global Citizen Festival Hamburg — photo by Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0
