Kaiser Chiefs Star Ricky Wilson Receives Applause for Supporting Trans Rights on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show

Kaiser Chiefs star Ricky Wilson received a round of applause from BBC viewers on Saturday night when he made a powerful statement in support of trans rights. The Leeds frontman found himself pranked on Michael McIntyre's Big Show, as he unsuspectingly entered a ‘fun house’ with a ball pit, only to discover it was a slide leading him onto a BBC stage where he would be asked to perform one of his band’s hits.

Wearing a t-shirt that boldly declared ‘Trans Rights Are Human Rights’ in purple and pink lettering, Wilson inadvertently became the center of attention. However, some BBC viewers accused the broadcaster of deliberately blurring the message on Wilson’s t-shirt.

Twitter user @sakurhyth said, “Is anyone else noticing Ricky Wilson’s trans rights are human rights shirt getting blurred on Michael McIntyre’s show this evening?” While @maidinoden tweeted, “I can’t actually believe this. Ricky Wilson has come on stage wearing a ‘trans rights are human rights’ shirt on the Michael McIntyre Show, and the BBC are trying to blur it.”

Replies to these accusations clarified that the blurriness was mainly due to the dark lighting behind the stage and the use of hidden cameras, which made it difficult to capture the lettering on Wilson’s t-shirt. In reality, there was no conspiracy against the message, as it appeared crystal clear when Wilson was on stage. Therefore, the BBC had no issue with broadcasting the pro-trans rights statement.

Despite the controversy over the blurriness, fans of the Kaiser Chiefs and Wilson himself commended the singer for his bold display of support. Twitter user @notbvd praised, “BIG respect to Ricky Wilson for his #TransRightsAreHumanRights t-shirt on prime time Saturday night TV! What a guy.” Similarly, @caitlinsuncool tweeted, “Ricky Wilson, the man that you are, wearing a ‘trans rights are human rights’ tee on prime time national TV?? Icon behavior.”

Additionally, user @travichughes emphasized the importance of Wilson’s statement, saying, “Ricky Wilson wearing a ‘trans rights are human rights’ t-shirt is so important. This week especially.” The singer’s gesture received further appreciation from @ft_alexc, who shared a personal connection, saying, “Watching Ricky Wilson be a top man. Wearing a trans rights t-shirt on TV takes me back to my first-ever concert, Kaiser Chiefs, 17 years ago!!”

Wilson’s bold support for trans rights received widespread recognition, with user @si_underwood acknowledging the prominent spot it achieved on prime time Saturday night BBC1. They credited a combination of Wilson’s sound judgment and the excellent timing of the setup on Michael McIntyre’s show. Twitter user @einsquared summed it up, saying, “Big up to Ricky Wilson for that trans rights shirt tonight.”