Take That‘s Howard Donald, who was scheduled to perform as a solo artist at Groovebox’s Nottingham Pride Festival in July, has been removed from the fest’s lineup. The move came on Saturday (June 17), when Donald apologized for “liking social media posts that are derogatory towards the LGBTQIA+ community.”
“In light of recent events, Howard Donald will no longer be playing at our Nottingham Pride Festival on Saturday 29th July at Binks Yard. We would like to offer our thanks to the public for alerting us to the situation this morning and also appreciate your patience whilst we spoke to the relevant parties,” Groovebox wrote in a statement published on Saturday, after telling festivalgoers earlier in the day that the organization was dealing with a “a situation that’s evolving, in relation to an artist on our Nottingham Pride line-up.”
“I have made a huge error in my judgement liking social media posts that are derogatory towards the LGBTQIA+ community and for that, I am deeply sorry and I know I have let everyone down,” Donald wrote in an Instagram Story on Saturday (June 17).
Donald added, “I am really disappointed in myself and I am sorry for any hurt that I have caused by my uneducated actions. I clearly have a lot to learn and it’s a priority for me that I do this.”
Donald’s Twitter account has been deleted as of press time, but screenshots of transphobic and homophobic tweets that he allegedly liked were shared among other media outlets and on social media.
Nottingham Pride is working on confirming a replacement headliner to take Donald’s spot. Horse Meat Disco, Tayce, Danny Beard and ESSEL remain on the event’s lineup.
Take That currently consists of Donald as well as Gary Barlow and Mark Owen, though Jason Orange and Robbie Williams originally rounded out the group. The English boy band took the U.K. and the rest of Europe by storm, but only had one hit in the U.S., 1995’s “Back for Good,” which peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100 songs chart.
This story originally appeared on Billboard
