British artist MIA has caused outrage after making a rude gesture and swearing during Madonna's half-time performance at the Super Bowl.
The London-born rapper and singer was a guest vocalist on the Queen of Pop's new track Give Me All Your Luvin alongside Nicki Minaj .
During the show, watched by an estimated 100 million people, MIA flipped her middle finger and appeared to sing "I don't give a ****" - although it was barely audible.
Broadcaster NBC said: "We apologise for the inappropriate gesture that aired during half-time. It was a spontaneous gesture that our delay system caught late."
The screen blurred briefly after the incident, delayed by less than a second, to cut out the camera shot.
In a statement released by NFL, which produces the show, it blamed the TV network.
"There was a failure in NBC's delay system," the NFL said. "The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologise to our fans."
It is not the first time Super Bowl's half-time show has caused controversy.
In 2004, Janet Jackson briefly exposed her nipple during a performance with Justin Timberlake.
Prior to the Super Bowl, Madonna had promised there would be no wardrobe malfunctions and admitted she was nervous about the performance.
But despite an elaborate show from the 53-year-old pop star, who is no stranger to controversy herself, it is her guest vocalist who stole the headlines.
Madonna opened the 12-minute show with her classic track Vogue and was carried across the football field on an extravagant throne by muscle-bound men.
Cee Lo Green and LMFAO also performed with Madonna, who briefly appeared to stumble while walking on the stage but recovered quickly.
There was much speculation on Twitter that her vocals were being lip-synched.
Madonna also performed Music and completed the show by singing Like A Prayer which ended with her disappearing in a puff of white smoke down a trap door in the stage, with lights on the field spelling out 'World Peace'.
This year's Super Bowl was won by the New York Giants over rivals the New England Patriots - but was hosted on neutral ground in Indianapolis.
Despite the all-American game on the pitch, it was the Brits who featured heavily during the ad breaks.
The sought-after advertising slots were this year selling for an average for £2.2m for just 30 seconds.
So anticipated are the adverts, viewing figures actually go up during the ad breaks.
David Beckham's new range of underwear featured, as well as Elton John selling Pepsi, while comedian Ricky Gervais starred in an advert for Time Warner Cable.
Other performers at the event included Kelly Clarkson singing the American national anthem.
MIA, real name Maya Arulpragasam, was born to Sri Lankan parents in Hounslow, west London.
She moved back to Sri Lanka when she was six months old but returned to the UK during the country's civil war and grew up in Morden, south London.
It was not the first time the musician has courted controversy.
In 2010, the video for the single Born Free was given an adults-only rating on YouTube after it showed graphic scenes of violence including red-haired people being rounded up and executed.
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