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US musician Kid Rock has been slammed by critics following a controversial comment he made to a BBC reporter about her sexuality yesterday.
The 'All Summer Long' singer spoke live to an Irish newsreader ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration, which he performed at later that day, only to be met with backlash minutes later.
The country rock star was announced in the line-up to perform at Republican leader Trump's inauguration earlier this month, with a music festival having been planned for after the Capitol Rotunda address.
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Joined by the likes of Carrie Underwood, the Village People, Billy Ray Cyrus, Greenwood, Liberty University's Praise Choir, Rascal Flatts, Gavin DeGraw, and Nelly, 54-year-old Kid Rock - whose real name is Robert James Ritchie - performed several of his most famous hits.
As we say, however, a comment that the chart-topper made during a live television interview ahead of the presidential celebration seemingly tainted what was already a dubious day for millions of Americans.
Speaking to the BBC's Caitríona Perry, Ritchie was asked about the process of agreeing to perform, before he suddenly asked the presenter where she was currently based.
Keeping her cool, Perry initially replied that she was reporting live from D.C., adding: "I’m standing on a rooftop in these very very chilly conditions."
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She added: "We’ll be on air for 12 hours so I don’t think I’ll have anywhere near as fun a day as you have planned for yourself!"
Ritchie then answered to tell the broadcaster he couldn't see her, and didn't know what she looked like.
"I look like I’m ready to hit the slopes here I can tell you," Perry cooly replied. "I’m in full-on ski gear here with my hat, gloves, the whole thing, ready to rock because you’ve got to be wrapped up against the elements don’t you?"
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It was then that Ritchie made a now-viral remark about the journalist, telling her: "I love to go skiing. You sound sexy, you want to go with me?"
Following a lengthy pause, a visibly-shocked Perry awkwardly replied: "Well we won’t get into that right here!"
She went on to reiterate: "We’re doing no skiing here, we’ve got a day of broadcasting to do."
Naturally, the cringe-worthy moment has resulted in Ritchie being slammed by millions of viewers, accusing him of inappropriate behaviour during a professional conversation.
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TV critic Scott Bryan firstly shared the footage on X, with the caption: "Kid Rock flirting on BBC News is some of the most awkward television you'll see this year.
"I can't believe I just listened to Kid Rock just perv over a journalist on the BBC, gotta be one of the most awkward things I've listened to in years," another viewer hit out online.
A third hit out: "Kid Rock flirting on BBC News is some of the most awkward television you'll see this year."
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"SO DISGUSTING ACTUALLY.!!!" another slammed the star, before a fifth demanded: "Who gave him a platform?!!"
Tyla has contacted Kid Rock's representatives for comment.
All the executive orders Donald Trump has signed so far
Policy recognising only 'two genders'
The president signed an order which will make it an official policy that there are only 'two genders'.
The policy reads: "Agencies will cease pretending that men can be women and women can be men when enforcing laws that protect against sex discrimination.
"These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality."
The order will also bring to an end 'wasteful' government programmes which promote diversity and inclusivity, as well as 'defending women from gender ideology extremism'.
Free speech
The president accused the previous administration of 'trampling free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech' and vowed to restore freedom of speech.
The order states it will 'ensure that no Federal Government officer, employee, or agent engages in or facilitates any conduct that would unconstitutionally abridge the free speech of any American citizen' and will 'end censorship of protected speech'.
Leaving the World Health Organisation
The president accused the organisation of fumbling the COVID-19 pandemic and said the US would no longer be 'ripped off' by it.
While signing a document to have the US leave the health agency, Trump said: "World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore.”
TikTok ban
As expected, Trump signed an executive order which hits pause on the US' ban of the popular app, allowing time for an 'appropriate course forward'.
“I guess I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have originally,” he said.
January 6 pardons
Trump's loss in the 2020 election led to the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in turn resulting in the arrests of a number of Trump supporters.
And as anticipated, the president has wasted no time in issuing pardons for offenders. Trump said he's pardoned around 1,500 people and issued six commutations.
Immigration
Trump has issued a slew of immigration-related policies during his first day back in the White House as he declared illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border a national emergency.
Trump has already gotten started on reversing several Biden-era immigration orders and has plans to send US troops to help immigration agents and restrict refugees.
The president has also got the wheels in motion to prevent children of immigrants in the US illegally from having citizenship.
Speaking at his inauguration, he said: "All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came."
Restoring the death penalty
Calling capital punishment an 'essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes', Trump signed an order which will ensure states have enough lethal injection drugs for executions.
"The Attorney General shall pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use," the order says.
Renaming the Gulf of Mexico
Following through on his promise during a press conference earlier this month, Trump has now ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be called the Gulf of America.
"President Trump is bringing common sense to government and renewing the pillars of American Civilization,” the executive order said.
Despite the order, it won't change how it is named globally.
Energy policy
Trump has vowed to 'unleash American energy', promising to export US energy globally as he signed the order amid what he describes as a 'national energy emergency'.
"America is blessed with an abundance of energy and natural resources that have historically powered our Nation’s economic prosperity. In recent years, burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of these resources, limited the generation of reliable and affordable electricity, reduced job creation, and inflicted high energy costs upon our citizens," the order states.
The order will also reverse Biden's ban on drilling in Alaska as Trump declared America 'will be a rich nation again'.
Cost of living
In the order, Trump vowed to issue 'emergency price relief' to Americans aimed at lowering housing prices and availability and creating 'employment opportunities for American workers'.
Trump will also 'eliminate harmful, coercive “climate” policies that increase the costs of food and fuel'.
Drug cartels
Trump has said drug cartels will now be classified as terrorist organisations.
"International cartels constitute a national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organised crime," the orders says.
Federal workers
Federal employees have now been classified as political hires - a move which in theory would make them easier to fire.
Trump also declared a federal hiring freeze which will reduce the size of federal government.
Topics: BBC, Donald Trump, Music, News, Politics, US News, Celebrity, Social Media
Rhianna Benson