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Gallaghers Win Removal of BBC Celebrity 'Wonderwall' World Cup Tribute

Their legal team's demand to take down the clip underlines how music licensing and artist control can halt broadcaster promotions.

Overview

  • According to multiple reports, the BBC removed a star-studded tribute video that used Oasis’s 'Wonderwall' after Liam and Noel Gallagher’s legal team said the corporation had not secured the correct permissions for social-media use.
  • BBC Sport boss Alex Kay-Jelski reportedly tried to stop the takedown but was unsuccessful, leaving the broadcaster to pull a piece it had hoped would capitalise on the song’s World Cup popularity.
  • The short clip featured well-known presenters and celebrities including Maya Jama, Stephen Fry, Claudia Winkleman, Micah Richards, Sara Cox, Michael McIntyre and Emma Raducanu performing or speaking along to the track.
  • Early reactions described the tribute as 'excruciating' and an insider told reporters the BBC had spent time and money on the project; the main accounts of events rely on unnamed insiders and tabloid sourcing.
  • The episode comes as Oasis promote a reunion documentary and serves as a reminder that social-media distribution often needs separate sync and licensing rights from broadcast clearance, giving artists leverage to control how their songs are used.