Cmat Shares ‘deep Sadness’ Over Body-Shaming Abuse After Radio 1 Big Weekend Set

The Battle Against Body-Shaming

You might think this is new, but… it’s not. CMAT, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, recently shared her “deep sadness” over body-shaming abuse she received after performing at Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival in Sunderland. She wrote on Instagram: “It is literally so boring for me, a gorgeous genius, to keep having to yap on about how horribly I am treated because of my body.”
CMAT, who performs under the name Cmat, has faced similar issues before, as evidenced by her 2024 statement that the BBC disabled comments on a video of her performing at Big Weekend in Luton. This time around, she was specifically targeted for her weight after performing with Olivia Dean.

The Ongoing Hostility

And yet, it’s not just one incident. CMAT has experienced this kind of hostility before, and continues to do so as she gains more fame. In 2024, she revealed that some insults from the audience inspired her song “Take A Sexy Picture Of Me,” which calls out extreme beauty standards for women. But why does it keep happening? “There is no relief from this,” CMAT wrote. “Nobody can protect me or save me from this, and all that is demanded of me is more and more work as every environment I am placed in becomes more hostile.”
CMAT’s team emphasized that she did not want to comment further on the issue.

The Disparity in Treatment

So what makes CMAT’s treatment stand out? A fan, who writes under the username Front Row Feels, recently published an essay comparing how different women on the Big Weekend lineup were treated. The essay highlighted a stark contrast between CMAT and other acts like Zara Larsson and Olivia Dean.
“What struck me most while scrolling through those toxic sections was the glaring disparity in how different women on that same lineup were treated,” Front Row Feels wrote.

CMAT reminded her audience of the nasty comments she received after performing at Big Weekend in 2024. Yet, she insisted: “It’s crazy because I’m actually very sexy.”

Radio 1’s Silence

But Radio 1 hasn’t said much about this issue either. BBC Newsbeat asked for a response regarding the disabling of comments on CMAT’s Instagram posts but has not received any official comment as of yet. So, while we wait for an official response from Radio 1, let’s hope that more voices like Cmat’s continue to shed light on the ongoing battle against body shaming in the entertainment industry.