TL;DR
- Jess Glynne condemns White House video using her song “Hold My Hand.”
- The video shows migrants being deported by ICE, soundtracked by a viral Jet2 TikTok remix.
- The caption joked about deportations as “Jet2 holidays.”
- Glynne calls it “sick” and says her music is about love and unity.
- The ad voiceover actress also slammed the political use of the sound.
Glynne to White House: Don’t Use My Voice for Hate
British pop powerhouse Jess Glynne is fuming — and for good reason. Her 2015 gay-adored chart-topper “Hold My Hand,” a song known for soundtracking everything from Pride floats to post-breakup glow-ups, just got hijacked for something way darker: a U.S. government deportation video.
The White House, attempting to hop on a viral TikTok meme, used a mashup of Glynne’s tune and a Jet2Holidays ad jingle for a now widely-criticized clip showing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents forcing migrants onto a deportation flight. The post caption? A sick joke: “When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. Nothing beats it!”
The video, featuring blurred ICE officers and a final thumbs-up from former President Donald Trump, was an apparent attempt at a viral win. Instead, it sparked swift backlash — especially from Glynne herself.
“This post honestly makes me sick,” she wrote on Instagram, fuming with rage and adding that her music is “about love, unity, and spreading positivity – never about division or hate.”
Let’s be clear: Glynne isn’t just any pop girlie. She’s been a staple of queer playlists for nearly a decade. From club remixes to karaoke heartbreak anthems, “Hold My Hand” has been a sing-along for the emotionally wrecked and romantically hopeful — not a soundtrack for political cruelty.
Even actress Zoë Lister, the voice behind the Jet2Holidays ad used in the video, jumped in to voice her fury. “What can be done about [the White House] using [the Jet2] sound and my voiceover to promote their nasty agenda?” she wrote.
The unauthorized use of queer-associated art to promote deportation policies isn’t just disrespectful — it’s an affront to everything LGBTQ culture stands for. Music is power, and queer music in particular has always been a refuge, a rallying cry, a home. Repurposing it for state violence hits a nerve. For a community constantly fighting for safe spaces, hearing your joy weaponized like this is a gut punch.
Glynne, who’s currently dating football pundit Alex Scott, has long been embraced by the LGBTQ community. She’s marched in Pride, championed inclusion, and been unafraid to speak up. Her response this week wasn’t just personal — it was political.
The move from the White House may have been intended as internet bait, but the backlash shows how deeply people care about the meaning behind their music. As far as Jess Glynne is concerned, her lyrics don’t belong in any clip that shows handcuffs, vans, and forced removals. Period.
So next time someone wants to slap a catchy bop on a political stunt? They better be ready for the diva to clap back — loud, proud, and unfiltered.