ITV bosses were forced to censor BRIT Awards host Jack Whitehall during Saturday’s ceremony, after he made a joke about former Labour grandee Peter Mandelson.
The disgraced former minister was arrested last week as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office, following allegations he leaked sensitive information to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary.
During the ceremony at Manchester’s Co-Op Arena, Jack appeared to make reference to Mandelson while speaking to Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham.
However, the joke didn’t make it past ITV censors as viewers watching the ceremont at home heard bird noise over Jack’s comments.
Jack joked how the BRITs is ‘the only party Andy is allowed into these days’, mocking the fact Sir Keir Starmer blocking Andy from running as an MP for the Labour party.
Jack referenced Mandelson’s name in the so-called Epstein Files, by saying: ‘I think I saw Peter Mandelson on the list, oh no sorry that’s another list!’
ITV bosses were forced to censor BRIT Awards host Jack Whitehall during Saturday’s ceremony, after he made a joke about former Labour grandee Peter Mandelson
The disgraced former minister was arrested last week as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office
Despite being cut from the ITV broadcast, the joke was still shared on the BRIT Awards’ Instagram.
Police raided Mandelson’s homes in London and Wiltshire a fortnight ago amid revelations in the three million pages of Epstein Files released by the US Department of Justice.
Emails suggested that both Mandelson, as business secretary and de-facto deputy Prime Minister to Gordon Brown, and Andrew, while UK trade envoy, had passed potentially sensitive information from official briefings to Epstein.
Neither man has commented on the claims but they are understood to deny any wrong-doing.
Scotland Yard’s central specialist crime division have spent weeks pouring over evidence from the US files, government documents and boxes of papers seized in the earlier raids on Mandelson’s homes.
Documents released by the US Department of Justice suggest Mandelson may have leaked information about potential policy measures, including an ‘asset sales plan’, a tax on bankers’ bonuses and a bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010.
Following his arrest, Lord Mandelson has been bailed until a date in May.
Just minutes into the show, Jack took a swipe at this year’s Bafta‘s Film Awards as he told viewers the BRITs had the ‘best in the business’ on the bleep button for the show – joking it was the same person running the under-fire ceremony last Sunday.
He said: ‘We’ve got the best in the business here tonight [for bleeping swear words], we’ve got the guy from the BAFTAs.’
Jack was referencing tourette’s campaigner John Davidson being heard shouting as black Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for special visual effects during last week’s ceremony.
Meanwhile, as Harry Styles left the stage, Jack had the audience in hysterics as he likened watching the Watermelon Sugar singer’s performance to sitting on a washing machine for three minutes.
As Robbie Williams took to the stage to present Song of the Year, Jack couldn’t resist a swipe, telling the packed arena how the hitmaker has had ‘more comebacks than his hairline’.
Jack also addressed the BRITs moving to Manchester for the first time in its history, as well as Oasis reuniting as cameras focused on Noel Gallagher in the arena.
The comedian joked it had been a ‘great year for Manchester’s drug dealers’ before Noel, 58, burst out in laughter.
Viewers have been left in hysterics at his humour, with one reacting: ‘And The BRIT Award 2026 goes to……Jack Whitehall’;
‘Jack never misses when it comes to roasting award shows’; ‘Jack Whitehall absolutely nailing the hosting with that perfectly timed dig at the BAFTA bleeping drama’;
‘Two seconds on the stage and Jack Whitehall has already been called Manchester the ‘G-Spot of the North’ and declared Noel Gallagher the ‘Manchester final boss’.
The 46th edition of the BRIT Awards launch at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena for the first time tonight.
During the ceremony at Manchester’s Co-Op Arena, Jack appeared to make reference to Mandelson while speaking to Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham
Since removing gendered categories, such as Best Male and Best Female, the ceremony has faced backlash for the low number of female artists nominated, particularly in 2023 when the Artist Of The Year shortlist was entirely male.
But 2026 will ring in the changes, with 70 percent of this year’s nominations being female or non-binary.
Lola Young and Olivia Dean lead the nominations with five each, closely followed by comeback queen Lily Allen, who has been recognised in three categories for her critically acclaimed fifth album, West End Girl.
The singer, 40, used the album to chronicle the collapse of her marriage to Stranger Things star David Harbour and his alleged infidelities while they were together.
She will go up against both Young and Dean for Artist Of The Year at the ceremony, while also competing for Album Of The Year and Pop Act.
Lola, 24, is also up for Breakthrough Artist and Alternative/Rock Act, but it is unknown if she will attend the ceremony.
Following the announcement, she said: ‘Five BRIT nominations, how is this even possible? I’ve had this dream a thousand times, so I’m slightly convinced that my alarm clock is about to wake me up.
‘Seriously, this means so much to me. I am so grateful for this moment and to be nominated alongside the incredible other nominees.’
Olivia, 26, became the first woman to claim the UK’s No 1 single and album in the same week since Adele in 2021, with her song Man I Need and album The Art Of Loving, both released in 2025.
She has been nominated in five categories and will be performing at the Award ceremony.
‘To go from being a student of The BRIT School in the crowd to being a performer 10 years later is really crazy, and I’m so excited to see everyone in Manchester,’ the singer shared in January.’
Comedian Jack Whitehall returns to present the ceremony for the sixth time, having previously hosted the event in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025.
He stepped away in 2022 when Mo Gilligan took over for two ceremonies, and Maya Jama, Roman Kemp, and Clara Amfo co-hosted the event together in 2024.
It will be his first time presenting in Manchester, and Whitehall, 38, credits the city as shaping his early comedy career after he studied at The University Of Manchester.
In a recent clip shared to social media titled Ode to Manchester, the TV personality showed off everything from the Curry Mile to Coronation Street.
He said: ‘I am so excited to be coming back for this very special BRIT Awards in Manchester, a place that is so important to me.
‘The city I started my comedy career in, it feels like a real full circle moment returning to host this historic night at the Co-op Live, a venue that is only a stone’s throw away from the comedy club I did my first 10 minute set in all those years ago.’
He added: ‘Hopefully I get a few more laughs than I did that night. I cannot wait.’
The late Ozzy Osbourne will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The frontman of Black Sabbath, who passed away in July last year, will be celebrated for his inimitable impact and influence on music worldwide.
The awards will be closed out by an all-star rock tribute performance which will be led by Robbie Williams, who was asked to be a part of the show personally by Ozzy’s wife Sharon as a long-standing fan of the music, and friend of the Osbourne family.
Curated by Sharon herself, it will feature a special arrangement of No More Tears – the title track from Ozzy’s multi-million selling 1991 album of the same name.
The segment will boast a phenomenal line up of British and international musical talent, featuring musicians that played as part of Ozzy’s band over the years.
Robbie will be joined on stage by Ozzy’s lead guitarist Zakk Wylde as well as Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo and Tommy Clufetos.
