Bob Geldof leaves This Morning viewers fuming after repeatedly misgendering Sam Smith

Charlie Herbert

‘Painful watch.’

Bob Geldof has been criticised by some This Morning viewers after he repeatedly misgendered Sam Smith during an appearance on the programme.

The Boomtown Rats singer, 71, infuriated viewers as he continued to refer to the non-binary singer as ‘he’. Viewers were then angered even more by hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield not correcting Geldof for his errors.

The Band-Aid organiser appeared as a guest to discuss several topics, including the sad death of his Boomtown Rats bandmate Garry Roberts and the impact Band Aid has had over the years.

As Geldof discussed the upcoming 40th anniversary of Band-Aid, he mentioned Smith and their part in the 30th anniversary Band-Aid song which was released in 2014, the Mirror reports.

Sam Smith identifies as non-binary and has asked to be referred to using the pronouns ‘they/them’ (Getty)

But he repeatedly referred to Smith as ‘he’ despite the fact that the ‘Unholy’ singer identifies as non-binary and has asked people to use the pronouns ‘they/them’ when being addressed.

Geldof said: “Sam Smith, I remember him at the microphone had his eyes closed, and he was singing away to the song, and I said ‘Sam, they’re not the words’. He goes, ‘oh yeah, sorry’.

“Because we had re-written the words for I think the Ebola crisis in west Africa.

“And he says ‘sorry’, so off he goes, he closes his eyes again and he starts singing the original words. I said ‘Sam’, and he goes ‘oh yes, sorry, every year in school I have to sing this song'”.

Whilst Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield did not seem to clock Geldof’s use of the wrong pronouns, several watching at home picked up on the mistakes.

Among the viewers following the interview, one asked by Bob Geldof was not ‘briefed on Sam’s gender identity’, another declared it ‘a painful watch’ and another said the veteran singer should ‘get with the times’.

Geldof is the latest person to misgender Smith in recent weeks. Both Richard Madeley and Ranvir Singh landed themselves in hot water by referring to Smith using ‘he/him’ pronouns.

Related links:

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge