Irish Star CMAT shines on the Pyramid Stage with her viral clapback at body shamers: ‘I’m still abused’

Irish singer CMAT lit up the Pyramid Stage on Friday with an electric set that turned trauma into triumph — but backstage, the viral star revealed the abuse hasn’t stopped.

Fresh from a euphoric performance of her anthem Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, the 29-year-old — real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson — told the BBC she still faces “terrible, terrible” online abuse over her appearance.

The track, now a TikTok sensation, was inspired by the fat-shaming she endured after a festival set last year. “People would film us and the comment sections were brutal,” she told the crowd, before launching into her defiant dance-pop revenge song.

Fans weren’t having it. “You’re stunning!” several shouted as boos rang out across Worthy Farm in support of the singer, who was dressed in a sparkly blue top, beaming as thousands joined her in the song’s chorus.

But backstage, her smile dimmed as she opened up about the relentless trolling. “I’m not really allowed to have TikTok on my phone,” she said. “Every day, people leave horrible comments. With their real names. Their full faces.”

She described it as the result of a desensitised internet culture where people forget there are humans behind the screen. “I think a lot of people do it unaware that people are actually reading this stuff.”

The viral hit — her second single from upcoming album Euro Country — skewers the pressure to be physically attractive in pop culture, mixing dark humour with painful honesty. The opening lyric recalls trying to wax her legs with sticky tape at age nine — a wry snapshot of early body-image anxiety.

Its wildly popular TikTok dance routine has helped spread its message, but CMAT has mixed feelings. “It’s just sad how many people relate to it,” she said. “I’m glad the song exists — but it’s a double-edged sword.”

Still, she says the absurdity of the situation — writing a pop banger about ageing, shame and image — has helped her take back control. “The dance makes it more ridiculous. I like that people can physically manifest how they relate to it.”

Her Pyramid Stage debut marked a full-circle moment for the Dublin-born star, who joked she got there by “constantly grafting” — and begging Glasto organiser Emily Eavis. But the result was worth every step.

Her set made fans laugh, cry and scream the lyrics back at her. And as she closed with Stay for Something, parting the crowd to walk among her fans while they sang “I just can’t do it” in unison, it was clear: this was a defining moment — not just of her career, but of the festival.

“This is the one we’ll remember from Glastonbury 2025,” said one fan through tears. “She didn’t just play the Pyramid Stage — she owned it.”

Though online abuse continues, CMAT’s message rang louder than the hate: reclaim your space, laugh in their faces, and sing your truth as loudly as possible.