Singer apologises after swearing on live TV during US anthem

A singer has apologised after swearing on live TV and "messing up" a performance of the US national anthem.

Loomis prompted mockery on social media when she performed The Star-Spangled Banner at an independent candidate debate on Wednesday which was broadcast live on TV station C-SPAN, as well as on the radio and online.

In an Instagram video posted on Saturday, Loomis called the incident a “mishap” and apologised to the team at Free and Equal Elections, who organised the debate, saying: "I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to mess up the national anthem."

“This has been something I’ve been scared of since I was a little girl… I was scared I was gonna fail and then I did, and the world’s seen it,” she said.

Videos from the event show her getting flustered on stage as she appears to mess up a note.

After singing the line “and the rocket’s red glare”, she swore and said: “Can I go back, can I go back please?”

It was only then that the singer found out that the recording was live.

“I got too nervous,” she said later on in the performance.

The performance has drawn comparisons to previous mishaps during renditions of the US national anthem.

Some likened Loomis’ performance to Fergie’s infamous performance of the song at the NBA All-Star Game in 2018. Fergie said at the time that she’d ”wanted to try something special for the NBA” but that it “didn't strike the intended tone”.

“Fergie has officially earned her retirement,” one TikTok user wrote in the comments under Loomis’ performance.

Country singer Ingrid Andress was also mocked online for her performance of the national anthem at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby in July. She said the next day that she had been drunk during the song.