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‘Utterly incredible’: Fans applaud Elton John and Olly Alexander’s performance of ‘It’s a Sin’ at Brit Awards

‘I kept thinking of all the young queer people watching at home that are finally seeing themselves,’ tweeted one viewer

Ellie Harrison
Wednesday 12 May 2021 09:53 BST
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Elton John and Years & Years perform 'It's a Sin' at BRIT awards 2021

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Elton John and Olly Alexander’s performance at the Brit Awards on Tuesday night (11 May) has been hailed as “utterly incredible” by viewers.

John and the Years & Years singer debuted a new version of Alexander’s cover of the Pet Shop Boys hit “It’s a Sin” from the acclaimed series of the same name.

“By fighting together, we’ve changed the world. Today, HIV is no longer a death sentence,” John’s husband, David Furnish, said to introduce the performance, explaining how medication can make HIV undetectable and untransmittable.

“The fight goes on until we can banish stigma, ignorance, fear, and the virus itself forever.”

The performance opened with Alexander lying across John’s piano in a black lace outfit. As the lights went up, dancers, drag queens and confetti filled the stage.

“Woah. Holy f***. That @yearsandyears @alexander_olly @eltonofficial performance was utterly incredible,” tweeted one viewer.

“This is the gayest thing I’ve ever seen,” posted comedian James Barr, before adding in another tweet: “Thoughts after the #itsasin gay rights extravaganza  ... elton and olly flirting was hot, we should all wear capes, when the beat dropped I was living, elton’s cuffs are cute. I kept thinking of all the young queer people watching at home that are finally seeing themselves.”

The cover is being released as a charity single in support of the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Jack Whitehall hosted the Brit ceremony, which featured performances by Coldplay and Dua Lipa.

The 2021 award ceremony marked the first live large-scale indoor event in London since March last year.

Big winners on the night include Dua Lipa, J Hus, Little Mix and Arlo Parks. See the full list here.

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