The BBC did not film a Glastonbury set by Sophie Ellis Bextor due to ‘crew shift patterns’ – with footage of the Pyramid Stage only captured by the festival’s own cameras.
The 44-year-old singer whipped the crowds up into a frenzy when she performed on The Pyramid Stage on Sunday, calling the show a ‘career highlight’.
Yet viewers at home were unable to join in the fun after the BBC neglected to show her set during live coverage on BBC One – aside from 10 seconds of highlights alongside an interview with her.
The corporation also failed to upload the full highlights on iPlayer. After being inundated with fans asking to see it, Sophie revealed that her performance hadn’t been filmed by BBC, despite the fact she appeared on the festival’s main stage.
MailOnline understands that the BBC did not film Sophie’s gig due to ‘camera crew shift patterns’. The brief footage of Sophie that it did play on BBC One was captured by Glastonbury’s own cameras.
The BBC made over 90 on-demand sets available to audiences on BBC iPlayer over the weekend and had as many as 1,000 people working on its coverage, according to sources. A Corporation spokeswoman said last week it would also provide ‘over 40 hours [of coverage] on TV and BBC iPlayer, 85 hours of live radio and extensive content on BBC Sounds’.
Snubbed: Sophie Ellis Bextor fans have been left outraged after her Glastonbury performance wasn’t shown by the BBC
Sad news: Viewers at home were unable to join in the fun after the BBC neglected to show her set, while also failing to upload it on iPlayer
Sophie took to Twitter to give her views on the controversy, tweeting: ‘I’m getting a lot of messages asking about watching my @glastonbury set on iPlayer. Obviously, that would have been wonderful, but sadly due to hours on the day it wasn’t possible for the BBC to cover my set. Next time…! Xx’
Footage of Sophie’s performance was captured by Glastonbury’s own cameras, with BBC One then airing just seconds of the show.
Fans were left outraged by the snub, tweeting: ‘Very gracious of you Sophie. And shame on you @BBCiPlayer!!’; ‘I’ve been looking for it. Really disappointed’; ‘Rude of them not to cover your set, I kept checking and hoping that it would appear on iPlayer.’
‘Gutted. One of the few chances I could see you live and BBC does that :(‘; ‘Not this! ‘; ‘Wholly unacceptable 🙁 Really enjoyed you at Warwick Castle, would have loved to see your Glastonbury set too!! xx
‘I have been searching for your set to watch’; ‘Oh that’s a shame :(‘; ‘Bummer’; ‘I’m gutted’; ‘I was searching for it and wondered. How annoying!’
A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘This year the BBC made over 90 on-demand sets available to audiences on BBC iPlayer over Glastonbury weekend, in addition to our live streams from the five main festival stages, our British Sign Language live stream of Pyramid Stage performances and Glasto-Cam Live.’
In 2009, the BBC revealed it had sent 415 staff to cover that year’s Glastonbury – just 22 fewer than the number flown out for the 2008 Beijing Olympics – at an estimated cost of £1.5 million.
Sophie isn’t the only star to have her set left off iPlayer, joining the likes of Lana Del Rey.
The singer, 38, headlined the Other Stage on Saturday night but the next day those keen to watch were left wondering why it wasn’t on catch up.
On the night Lana unfortunately had her microphone completely cut off during the set as she hit curfew after taking to the stage 30 minutes late.
She left festival-goers eagerly awaiting her arrival as she was due to take to the stage at 10.30pm, but did not step out until around 11pm.
Despite the delayed start many on Sunday were frustrated they couldn’t watch on iPlayer.
Loving life: The 44-year-old singer whipped the crowds up into a frenzy when she performed on The Pyramid Stage on Sunday, calling the show a ‘career highlight’
Not impressed: Fans were left outraged by the snub revealing they had been trying to find footage of the performance online
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘Lana Del Rey’s set was broadcast in full on Saturday night and we are delighted that we can include selected tracks as part of our on-demand offer on BBC iPlayer, as agreed with the artist.’
Lana kicked off her set with a bang but was quick to address why she had been late, bizarrely saying it was because her hair took a long time to do, and she even got a stylist on stage to finish off her look.
Lana had vowed to do her set as originally planned, but was unable to do so as she was abruptly cut off mid-performance when the midnight curfew hit.
Glastonbury are not allowed to play music on any major stages past midnight, and Lana’s set had been due to end at 11.45pm, but was still going on more than 15 minutes later.
After she was cut off, Lana began speaking to the crowds without a microphone and gesturing, and her fans soon realised what she was asking as they all started singing her smash hit Video Games.
The star had no doubt been leaving her most popular track until last, and got the crowds to belt out the hit for her when she was left unable to sing any longer.
In a bid to make it up to her fans, Lana stepped down off the stage and greeted festival-goers in the front row, signing Summertime Sadness with them and signing autographs.
Lana was flanked by security and her team as she greeted her emotional and overwhelmed fans, before she was escorted off stage after the very abrupt ending.
Earlier in her show, Lana had addressed why she was 30 minutes late and vowed to do her setlist as originally planned, even if organisers ‘cut the power off’.
She told the crowds: ‘I was so f**king late that I am about to rush this set today, if they cut power, they cut power.
‘I’m super f**king sorry, my hair takes so long to do. Let’s run the set as it’s supposed to go, let’s do it!’
After getting her hair done was her reason for her late arrival, Lana also got her stylist on stage to finish off her look while she belted out her hits.
As she sat on a chair to perform, her hair stylist was seen unpinning her up-do and going to work combing out her locks so they fell loosely over her shoulders.
Lana had originally appeared on stage with her glossy brunette tresses all pinned back into a voluminous up-do, fixed in place with a silver hairpiece.
Not happy: Lana Del Rey fans fumed that her Glastonbury set was still not available on BBC iPlayer on Sunday afternoon
Unimpressed: Despite the delayed start many on Sunday were frustrated they couldn’t watch on iPlayer as one wrote: ‘Is the #lanadelrey set going to be on BBC #glastonbury #iPlayer? Still not gone live. Or is she on the naughty step?’
But she later wore the bottom half of her locks cascading across her shoulders after her stylist had come prepared with combs and hairbrushes on to the stage.
Lana had first appeared on stage in a black overcoat fastened together with a chunky belt, before her backing dancers ripped it off to reveal her dress underneath.
She looked effortlessly elegant in a long-sleeved white satin shirt, which she teamed with a coordinated mini skirt and heeled shoes.
Her performance came at the same time that headliners Guns N Roses were performing on the Pyramid stage, which also played host to a whole array of stars on Friday.
