BRIT Awards: The 10 most shocking moments in the show's history

1 March 2025, 12:33

Taking a look back at the biggest 'oh my gosh' moments from the Brit Awards.

The Brit Awards is where some of the biggest names in music compete to take home some prestigious titles.

Here, we’re taking a look back at some of the biggest moments in the show’s history.

So from Adele’s sassy speech to Robbie Williams and Liam Gallagher’s awkward argument - check out our outrageous list.

Geri Halliwell’s dress (1997)

When Ginger Spice sashayed onto the stage in that tiny Union Jack dress, fashion history was made. The tea-towel-sized frock with its cheeky CND logo stitched on the back became an instant pop culture icon.

Originally planned as a plain black dress, Geri's last-minute addition of a Union Jack tea towel created perhaps the most memorable outfit in Brits history. The dress later sold at auction for £41,320, proving sometimes the smallest outfits make the biggest impressions!

Adele swearing at James Corden (2013)

BRIT AWARDS Adele flips after being cut-off during speech

Poor James Corden had the unenviable job of cutting short Adele's acceptance speech for her Best Album win. As the singer was thanking fans, Corden awkwardly interrupted to introduce Blur.

Adele's response? A perfectly timed middle finger to the cameras. She later clarified it was aimed at "the suits" not the audience. Classic Adele – keeping it real even when collecting her second award of the night!

Justin Timberlake and Kylie Minogue’s performance (2003)

When Justin and Kylie shared the stage for 'Rapture', temperatures in the venue soared. Their chemistry was electric as Justin couldn't resist a cheeky squeeze of Kylie's famous derrière.

The performance left viewers clutching their pearls and reaching for cold compresses. Coming just after Kylie's 'Spinning Around' renaissance, this duet confirmed her status as pop's ultimate showgirl.

Robbie Williams vs Liam Gallagher (2000)

Liam Gallagher owning robbie Williams

The bad blood between these chart bad boys reached boiling point when Robbie challenged Liam to a £100,000 boxing match live on stage.

"Would anybody like to see me fight Liam?" Robbie asked the crowd while collecting an award. The feud had been simmering since Robbie left Take That, with Liam calling him "the fat dancer from Take That." No punches were ever thrown, but the verbal sparring provided tabloid gold for years to come.

Madonna falling over (2015)

The Queen of Pop became the Queen of Oops when her cape failed to detach during her performance of 'Living For Love'.

Yanked backwards by her dancers, Madonna tumbled down several stairs in a spectacular pratfall. True to her reputation, she barely missed a beat, got up and continued performing like nothing happened. Later she explained her cape had been tied too tightly, proving that even pop royalty occasionally takes a tumble.

Brandon Block squaring up to Ronnie Wood (2000)

Ronnie throws his drink in Brandon Block's face. BRIT Awards 2000 #shorts

In perhaps the most chaotic Brits moment ever, dance DJ Brandon Block wandered on stage drunk as a skunk during the Rolling Stones' award presentation.

Convinced by prankster friends he'd won a prize, Block confronted a bemused Ronnie Wood, who responded by throwing a drink in his face. The pair nearly came to blows before security intervened. It's the Brits equivalent of your embarrassing uncle crashing a wedding – chaotic, cringeworthy, and completely unforgettable.

Chumbawumba soak John Prescott (1998)

When band member Danbert Nobacon emptied an ice bucket over Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, it was politics and pop colliding in the messiest way possible.

The band claimed it was a protest against New Labour "selling out the working class." Prescott, not known for his calm temperament, was reportedly restrained from retaliating. The band's anarchist credentials were bolstered, Prescott got a free shower, and the Brits got another legendary moment of mayhem.

Jarvis Cocker crashes Michael Jackson's performance (1996)

Jarvis Cocker - 1996 Brit Awards Michael Jackson - BBC South East news reports

As Michael Jackson performed 'Earth Song' surrounded by children and dressed as a messiah figure, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker had seen enough.

He invaded the stage, bent over and wiggled his bottom at the audience before being tackled by security. Cocker was briefly detained on suspicion of assault but later released. His protest against what he called Jackson's "Christ-like" performance became an iconic moment of Britpop rebellion against American pop pomposity.

Mick Fleetwood and Samantha Fox's chaotic hosting (1989)

Before autocues were standard, this catastrophically mismatched duo gave a masterclass in how not to present an awards show.

The pair stumbled through introductions, talked over each other, announced the wrong acts, and generally created television gold for all the wrong reasons. The chemistry between the 5'1" glamour model and 6'6" rock drummer was painfully non-existent. It remains the benchmark against which all awkward presenting gigs are measured.

The KLF gun the audience (1992)

Art-pranksters The KLF closed their performance of '3AM Eternal' by firing blank machine gun rounds over the audience's heads. As if that wasn't enough, they then dumped a dead sheep at the afterparty with the message "I died for you – bon appetite."

They also threw their Brit Award into a river, deleted their back catalogue and quit the music business. Talk about going out with a bang! It remains the most anarchic Brits moment ever, unlikely to be topped unless someone releases wild animals into the O2 Arena.