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ITV bosses were forced to censor BRIT Awards host Jack Whitehall during Saturday’s ceremony, after he made a joke about former Labour grandee Peter Mandelson.
The disgraced former minister was arrested last week as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office, following allegations he leaked sensitive information to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary.
During the ceremony at Manchester’s Co-Op Arena, Jack appeared to make reference to Mandelson while speaking to Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham.
However, the joke didn’t make it past ITV censors as viewers watching the ceremony at home heard bird noise over Jack’s comments.
Jack joked how the BRITs is ‘the only party Andy is allowed into these days’, mocking the fact Sir Keir Starmer blocking Andy from running as an MP for the Labour party.
Jack referenced Mandelson’s name in the so-called Epstein Files, by saying: ‘I think I saw Peter Mandelson on the list, oh no sorry that’s another list!’
Despite being cut from the ITV broadcast, the joke was still shared on the BRIT Awards’ Instagram.
Police raided Mandelson’s homes in London and Wiltshire a fortnight ago amid revelations in the three million pages of Epstein Files released by the US Department of Justice.
Emails suggested that both Mandelson, as business secretary and de-facto deputy Prime Minister to Gordon Brown, and Andrew, while UK trade envoy, had passed potentially sensitive information from official briefings to Epstein.
Neither man has commented on the claims but they are understood to deny any wrong-doing.
Scotland Yard’s central specialist crime division have spent weeks pouring over evidence from the US files, government documents and boxes of papers seized in the earlier raids on Mandelson’s homes.
Documents released by the US Department of Justice suggest Mandelson may have leaked information about potential policy measures, including an ‘asset sales plan’, a tax on bankers’ bonuses and a bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010.
Following his arrest, Lord Mandelson has been bailed until a date in May.
Just minutes into the show, Jack took a swipe at this year’s Bafta‘s Film Awards as he told viewers the BRITs had the ‘best in the business’ on the bleep button for the show – joking it was the same person running the under-fire ceremony last Sunday.
He said: ‘We’ve got the best in the business here tonight [for bleeping swear words], we’ve got the guy from the BAFTAs.’
Jack was referencing tourette’s campaigner John Davidson being heard shouting as black Sinners stars Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo presented the award for special visual effects during last week’s ceremony.
Meanwhile, as Harry Styles left the stage, Jack had the audience in hysterics as he likened watching the Watermelon Sugar singer’s performance to sitting on a washing machine for three minutes.
As Robbie Williams took to the stage to present Song of the Year, Jack couldn’t resist a swipe, telling the packed arena how the hitmaker has had ‘more comebacks than his hairline’.
Jack also addressed the BRITs moving to Manchester for the first time in its history, as well as Oasis reuniting as cameras focused on Noel Gallagher in the arena.
The comedian joked it had been a ‘great year for Manchester’s drug dealers’ before Noel, 58, burst out in laughter.
Viewers have been left in hysterics at his humour, with one reacting: ‘And The BRIT Award 2026 goes to……Jack Whitehall’;
‘Jack never misses when it comes to roasting award shows’; ‘Jack Whitehall absolutely nailing the hosting with that perfectly timed dig at the BAFTA bleeping drama’;
‘Two seconds on the stage and Jack Whitehall has already been called Manchester the ”G-Spot of the North” and declared Noel Gallagher the ‘Manchester final boss’.
The 46th edition of the BRIT Awards took place at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena for the first time on Saturday.
Olivia Dean swept the floor as she took home four awards – winning in every category she was nominated for.
The British singer and songwriter, 26, won Best Artist, Best Album, Best Song and Best Pop Act.
In the Song of the Year category Olivia was nominated for two, for her single Man I Need, as well as her song Rein Me In with Sam Fender – which won.
Olivia, 26, became the first woman to claim the UK’s No 1 single and album in the same week since Adele in 2021, with her song Man I Need and album The Art Of Loving, both released in 2025.
It was a completely different night for Lily Allen who didn’t take home any awards.
While she dominated the charts last year with the release of her fifth studio album West End Girl, Lily Allen failed to beat Miss Dean in categories Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Pop Act categories.
The singer, 40, used the album to chronicle the collapse of her marriage to Stranger Things star David Harbour, 50, and detailed his alleged affair with ‘Madeline’ whilst they were together.
Despite being nominated eight times previously, the Not Fair hitmaker has only ever won one BRIT award and did not attend this year’s ceremony.
Manchester born Noel Gallagher, 58, was honoured with this year’s Songwriter of the Year award, after he reunited with his brother Liam for their mammoth Oasis reunion tour.
Sharon Osbourne, 73, took to the stage to accept an award on behalf of her late husband Ozzy Osbourne, who was honoured with the BRITs Lifetime Achievement Award.
Supported by her daughter Kelly, 41, the TV personality gave a heartfelt speech, saying: ‘[Ozzy] was gifted, totally unpredictable, a wild man – he was a true artist.
‘He came from a small, working-class neighbourhood in Birmingham and rose to become one of the most recognisable and respected musicians of his life. He never stopped pushing himself to do better.
‘He was the most humble ego-maniac you could ever meet. And yes, at the end of the day, he will always be a rock star. Ozzy’s heart never left England. Wherever he was in the world, he was always proud to be that working-class Brummie.’
What followed was an all-star rock tribute performance, to close the show on the which paid homage to Ozzy, who sadly passed away last July.
This performance was a special arrangement of ‘No More Tears’ – the title track from Ozzy’s multi-million selling 1991 album of the same name and was curated by Sharon Osbourne herself.
The performance featured musicians that played as part of Ozzy’s band over the years; Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos and Zakk Wylde; and was fronted by Robbie Williams, who was invited personally by Sharon to be part of this special moment, as a long-standing fan of the music, and friend of the Osbourne family.
Lola Dean, 24, who was nominated for five awards, took home the award from breakthrough artist after a turbulent few months.
It comes after a hiatus from music, following the 25-year-old sparking concern when she collapsed on stage at a New York gig in September.
She cancelled her remaining tour dates to take a break and get her ‘head in a better place’, but has since returned to the music scene and took to the stage to accept her award last night.
British rapper Dave, 27, won in the Hip Hop category off the back of releasing his third studio album, The Boy Who Played The Harp, at the end of last year.
British producer and DJ Fred Again, real name Fred Gibson, Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax took home the Dance award, while Sam Fender triumphed in the Best Rock category.
Ten-time Grammy Award winning artist and producer Mark Ronson, 50, received the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award, before taking to the stage to perform.
And SAULT took home the R&B award, whilst Jacob Alon won the Critics Choice award and PinkPanthress won Producer of the Year.
Geese won Best International Group and Rosalia won Best International Artist whilst International Song of the Year was taken home by ROSE and Bruno Mars.
International Song of the Year was won by Rosé and Bruno Mars for APT with Rosé at the ceremony to accept the honour.
The Group of the Year award was won by Wolf Alice after the success of their fourth album The Clearing.
‘We want to dedicate this award to all the people who helped us out in the early years of Wolf Alice,’ singer Ellie Roswell said.
American rock band Geese won International Group of the Year, their first BRIT award.
Spanish star Rosalia won the International Artist of the Year award, beating out the likes of Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga.
Harry Styles took to the stage to perform, just seven days before his hotly anticipated album, Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally.
Seven-time BRIT winner, Raye, 28, also performed her hit single, Where Is My Husband, which was nominated for Song of the Year.
Wolf Alice, ROSALIA and Alex Warren, SOMBR, RAYE, and EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix’s global phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters, also performed.
The BRIT Awards have been held annually at London’s O2 Arena since 2011, but the Daily Mail revealed that the annual showpiece, regarded as the biggest night in British music, will be held in Manchester this year and is likely to move around the UK in different locations for the foreseeable future.
Comedian Jack Whitehall returned to present the ceremony for the sixth time, having previously hosted the event in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025.
He stepped away in 2022 when Mo Gilligan took over for two ceremonies, and Maya Jama, Roman Kemp, and Clara Amfo co-hosted the event together in 2024.
This was his first time presenting in Manchester, and Whitehall, 38, credits the city as shaping his early comedy career after he studied at The University Of Manchester.
The 2026 event was the first of three years under the stewardship of Sony Music UK, who spearheaded the move to Manchester.
Past venues include Earl’s Court, the London Arena, Alexandra Palace, Hammersmith Apollo, the Dominion Theatre, the Royal Albert Hall, the Grosvenor Hotel and its original location, Wembley Conference Centre.
But the move away from the capital signals another new era in the ceremony’s history, arguably the most seismic.
A source told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s officially the end of an era. The BRIT Awards has been hosted in London since the ceremony first took place in 1977 and now for the first time ever, it will be held outside of the capital.
‘Obviously, it’s going to come as sad news to artists and talent who are London-based but there’s a feeling within the music industry that these shows don’t always need to be held at the same venues, year after year.
‘The BRITs is the biggest night in the British music calendar and now it will be shared with a new audience, as fans from Manchester and the surrounding areas are more likely to attend.
‘In recent years, there has been a general appetite for the ceremony to move, as with the The Mercury Prize and The MOBO Awards and now for the first time the music scene won’t be as London-centric, both for the nominees and fans.’
Jason Iley MBE, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music UK & Ireland said: ‘This is a very exciting time for The BRIT Awards. Moving to Manchester, the home of some of the most iconic and defining artists of our lifetime, will invigorate the show and build on the BRITs legacy of celebrating and reinvesting in world-class music.
‘Hosting the show in Manchester, with its vibrant cultural history, perfectly captures the spirit and energy of the BRIT Awards. I can’t wait to see the show at the amazing state-of-the art Co-op Live venue.’
Meanwhile Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said: ‘For The BRIT Awards to move out of London is a massive coup for Greater Manchester.
‘After 48 years, it is great that this prestigious global event is about to arrive in the UK capital of music and culture.’
He added: ‘Greater Manchester has an unparalleled music heritage known around the world, and this summer will play host to some of the biggest gigs on the planet.
‘That was only made possible by our strong commitment to new talent and giving emerging artists the opportunities to make their name.
‘We thank our friends at the BPI for choosing Manchester and we will pull out all the stops to show they made the right decision.
‘Celebrating the BRIT Awards right here in the home of 24 hour party people is the next chapter in its story and you can be sure that we will help them do it in style.’