A disgruntled rugby fan has started a petition calling for ITV to drop Paloma Faith's "excruciatingly awful" Rugby World Cup theme music.
Jonathan Wilson took to Change.org to start the campaign shortly after the first game between England and Fiji, in which the song was played during the opening credits and briefly during each advertisement break. It will re-appear during every match of the Rugby World Cup.
In a letter to ITV Sport on the petition page, Wilson writes: "We, the undersigned, request that you, ITV, remove Paloma Faith from the Rugby World Cup in order to make it a more enjoyable experience for all spectators."
Wilson, a 'big rugby fan', told Huffington Post UK: "My dislike for Paloma Faith's rendition of 'World in Union' was immediate. I just couldn't believe that an ITV producer heard that recording somewhere and thought to themselves: 'that's the missing link in our World Cup coverage.'
"I've never actually heard a Paloma Faith song before so I have no previous with her, but this particular one is so garbled and wince-inducing that upon hearing it I immediately searched for a petition that I could sign to have it removed.
"I was astonished to find that such a thing did not exist, so took it upon myself to rectify that."
The 'World In Union' song is performed by a different star for every tournament, with previous performers including Russell Watson, Katherine Jenkins and Rhydian Roberts.
And it's not just Wilson that finds Faith's rendition difficult to listen to -- there are currently over 1,700 signatures on the petition.
One signatory, Di Young commented: "it's just gratingly awful". Another, James Byrne, said: "It is awful. Truly awful. And I like Paloma Faith..."
Bill Cowen said: "No discernible sincerity. She so obviously doesn't connect with what it means. She's turned it into a pop song... Ugh"
Others took to Twitter to express their dismay...
all Paloma Faith bits are teeth scraping but one that goes "the WORLD in YOO-nee-onion" makes me want to ram blowtorches in my ears #itvrwc
— Blood & Mud (@bloodandmud) September 20, 2015Paloma Faith's strangling of "The World in Union" should be reported as a hate crime #RWC2015
— David Vance (@DVATW) September 23, 2015Paloma Faith really has murdered the song for the rugby on ITV.
— Jack Faulkner (@jackfaulkner) September 20, 2015I love rugby and I like Paloma Faith. But listening to her wail world in union before every ad break for next 6 weeks is going to be painful
— Helen (@CylonTrickster) September 20, 2015Properly sick of Paloma Faith's WAILING every advert during the rugby. I would presume I'm not the only one.
— Lee Freer (@LNFreer89) September 19, 2015A spokesperson for ITV Sport said: “We are happy with Paloma’s rendition.”
