Controversial singer and former Neighbours cast member, Holly Valance, has been called out during a live interview for using a derogatory slur and refusing to apologise for it.
The 42-year-old appeared on GBNews after Apple Music briefly banned her song Kiss Kiss (XX) My A**e, which is a soundtrack to Pauline Hanson‘s new film, A Super Progressive Movie.
Valance said: “During Covid, it was the big tester. It was the r****d metre. And Australia was quite high on that.”
The host quickly apologised to the audience for Valance’s slur and told her, “I think some people might be offended.”
The singer was unapologetic: “Hey, are we not Free Speech Nation over here?”
The host replied: “We are free speech, except for that word.”
Just one reaction to Holly Valance’s use of a derogatory slur. Image: X
Holly Valance uses obsolete slur on air after song ban
During the interview, Valance, who now lives in the UK, spoke about her song being briefly banned from Apple Music.
It had been released on Australia Day and reached No.1 on the Apple Music iTunes best-selling songs chart, but was removed from the platform after it briefly overtook Olivia Dean‘s Triple J Hottest 100-winning song, Man I Need. It was then reinstated on Friday following backlash.
Valance said: “If it was like a Trump-bashing right left-wing, Farage-bashing, song that someone on the left side of politics made, then it would have been fine. It would have been no issues because the right don’t tend to have toddler tantrums.
“We never received any email officially from iTunes or Apple or anybody. So I was like, ‘what’s going on?'”
Holly Valance speaking on GB News. Image: GB News
Holly Valance’s soundtrack to Pauline Hanson’s movie
The song is a tweaked version of Valance’s 2002 tune “Kiss Kiss,” now with lyrics that take aim at progressive politics, including references to trans people, snowflakes, and cancel culture.
When the song was released, Hanson said, “Wouldn’t the ABC have a heart attack knowing they had to play this track?”
The song only reached around 50,000 streams on Spotify, did not chart on Australia’s major streaming services, and did not enter any official rankings.