Richard Madeley apologises for misgendering non-binary Sam Smith

30 Jan 2023
Sam Smith video
Richard Madeley apologises for callling non-binary Sam Smith 'him' instead of 'they' after Susanna Reid during debate over whether their new music video is 'over-sexualised'

By Rebecca Davison for MailOnline

Published: 09:27 GMT, 30 January 2023 | Updated: 13:03 GMT, 30 January 2023

Good Morning Britain presenter Richard Madeley apologised for misgendering Sam Smith on Monday morning's show.

Madeley, 66, had been debating whether or not Sam's latest music video for I'm Not Here To Make Friends is over-sexualised when the slip-up happened. 

Smith, 30, is non-binary and uses the pronouns they/them and Madeley was talking about the scenes in Smith's video, when he accidentally referred to them as 'he.' 

Sorry: Richard Madeley apologised for misgendering Sam Smith - who is non-binary on Monday's GMB during a debate over whether their new music video is 'over-sexualised'

Wild: Sam wears a corset, suspenders and nipple tassels in their new music video for I'm Not Here To Make Friends

Co-host Susanna Reid, 52, corrected his mistake and he apologised. 

The video for Smith's new single sees them arrive at a castle in a helicopter before they dance provocatively in corsets, suspenders and nipple tassels.

And while a panel was discussing the video, Richard told a guest they 'had a point' and they informed him that they too use they/them pronouns.

Going for it: Smith is also seen performing provocative dance moves during the music video, released last week

Critics called for age restrictions as they said children as young as five can watch the 'sexualised' music video on YouTube

Richard apologised a second time and said: 'I am so sorry. I will learn to do that.'

Gloria, Sam's fourth studio album, was released on Friday and is the first LP they have released in three years.

It arrived after almost a year of public preparations from Sam, who released the album's first single Love Me More in April 2022. 

The Money on My Mind songwriter then took TikTok by storm with their viral hit single Unholy featuring German singer Kim Petras.

The track hit No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the pair's first song to make the top spot. 

Smith revealed on Friday they were spat at in the street after coming out as non-binary.

The Grammy winner changed their gender pronouns to they/them in 2019, and said they wish they had done it sooner but also opened up about the shocking backlash.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, the popstar revealed that while there have been no issues with their new gender identity in their personal life, they have been harassed on the streets of England since coming out.

They explained: 'I think all the only negatives in the struggle have been in my public life and my job. And just the amount of hate and s****ness that came my way was just exhausting.

'It was in the f****** news. Someone spat at me in the street. It's crazy. What I find hard about it is it's like, if that's happening to me and I'm famous, I'm a pop star, can you imagine what other kids, like queer kids are feeling? 

'And it's just so sad that we're in 2023 and it's still happening. It's exhausting and especially in England.'

Sam added: 'So we've got two sides, really. My personal life and then my public life. And in my personal life, there's not one negative. 

'My family, they can communicate with me. They always did. But they communicate with me now in an even better way. My love life has become better from it. I feel lovable. I feel comfortable in my skin, but I wear what I want to wear.

'Since changing my pronouns, it felt like a coming home. I wish I knew what the words were when I was in school, because I would've identified as that in school. Because it is who I am and it's who I've always been.'

Shame: Sam revealed on Friday they were spat at in the street after coming out as non-binary

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