The homelessness charity Centrepoint has said it will cut ties with its celebrity ambassador Sharon Osbourne after she expressed support for a far-right rally being organised by Tommy Robinson.
The charity, of which the Prince of Wales is patron, has been moved to distance itself from comments made by Osbourne. The TV personality indicated this week that she would be attending an event organised in London by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
On an Instagram post about the “unite the kingdom” rally, Osbourne’s official account left a comment saying: “See you at the march.”
In response, Centrepoint, which had recently engaged Osbourne as an ambassador for a campaign, said: “This sort of event does not align with our values.”
It added: “Centrepoint has a proud history of supporting young people whatever their background, ethnicity or religion. If we want young people to thrive in this country then we need to ensure our society continues to allow them to live without fear and able to access the opportunities they need to start education or work and leave homelessness behind.”
The charity expressed its gratitude to Osbourne for supporting its Omaze campaign, which raised money by selling entries for a sweepstakes-style draw to win a £5m home overlooking Lake Windermere along with £250,000 in cash.
“While Sharon supported us on this campaign, for which she was referred to as an ambassador as is standard for Omaze prize draws, she is not an official ongoing ambassador of Centrepoint and we have no plans to work together in the future,” it said.
Robinson, who has been eager to gain endorsement from celebrities, has celebrated Osbourne’s support for the 16 May rally.
An estimated more than 100,000 people took to the streets for the previous “unite the kingdom” rally, last September, which was thought to be the largest far-right rally of its type in British history.
As well as a range of extremist speakers who appeared on stage, the event was addressed remotely by Elon Musk, whom Downing Street condemned for using “dangerous and inflammatory” language.
“Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die, that’s the truth, I think,” Musk told the event.
The Metropolitan police have been accused of giving preferential treatment to this year’s far-right demonstration over a pro-Palestine protest in London on the same day. A Met spokesperson said decisions on demonstrations were not based on political affiliations but on safety and security.
Osbourne has been approached for comment.
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