Yahoo News Lily Allen has been pulled from Newsnight
Lily Allen was pulled from tonight's (June 15) Newsnight panel shortly after the singer accused the media of 'downplaying' the death toll of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Announcing the news on Twitter, Lily told her followers: "I'm sad to say @BBCNewsnight just cancelled me for tonight's show. They have someone from the council coming on instead."
I'm sad to say @BBCNewsnight just cancelled me for tonight's show. They have someone from the council coming on instead.
- lily #labourtine🎈 (@lilyallen) June 15, 2017
The cancellation comes after Lily appeared on Channel 4 News and said that the number of dead following the fire is much higher than the official figure being reported.
Speaking to Jon Snow, Lily said that the goverment is trying to 'micro-manage' people's grief. "I have never in my life seen an event like this where the death count has been downplayed by mainstream media," she said.
"Seventeen? I'm sorry but I'm hearing from people that the figure is much closer to 150, and that many of those people are children.
"Those are off the record numbers I've been given from policemen and from firemen," she added.
Lily has since expanded on her comments, arguing on Twitter that families are suffering and need to be able to grieve for the loss of their friends and loved ones.
In a recent post she explained why she was "politicizing" the incident, saying that "the country is not measuring up well" in the way it treats its vulnerable citizens.
I am politicizing #Grenfell tower because, it is governmental policies that have lead to so many unnecessary deaths. pic.twitter.com/9kqVMpiQkQ
- lily #labourtine🎈 (@lilyallen) June 15, 2017
Although the most recent count has 17 deaths confirmed by police, law enforcement officials on the scene have cautioned that the final death toll is likely to rise in the hours and days ahead.
Digital Spy has reached out to the BBC for comment on why Lily's Newsnight appearance was cancelled.
The Met Police has set up an emergency number for anyone concerned about friends or family. Contact the Casualty Bureau on 0800 0961 233 or 0207 158 0197.
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