LONDON — Justin Bieber apologized Tuesday to his young fans – and their outraged, overtired parents – after they accused him of taking the stage inconsiderately late for a concert in London.
The 19-year-old pop singer insisted he had been only 40 minutes behind schedule, and blamed “technical issues.”
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But, he added in a tweet to his 35 million followers: “There is no excuse for that and I apologize for anyone we upset. However it was great show and I’m proud of that.”
Concertgoers said the teenage star appeared onstage at the 02 Arena on Monday just before 10:30 p.m., almost two hours after the anticipated start time. Some in the audience said they faced a choice between leaving early and missing the last trains home.
“The ladies sitting with us had to leave after 20 minutes and they had spent 70 quid (70 pounds, about $106) each on a ticket, which is really bad,” said financial analyst Louise Cooper, who had taken her 9-year-old daughter to the gig as a birthday present.
“It’s one thing if your demographic is 50-year-olds, but his demographic is lots of little girls who need to go home and go to bed.”
Tracy Wilson, who attended the show with her teenage daughter, said people began booing when Bieber hadn’t appeared by 9:30. She called the lack of explanation “disgusting.”
The venue apologized on its Twitter feed. But it said the subway was still running when the show ended at 11:47 p.m., and extra boats and taxis were brought in to help people leave the riverside venue.
Jon Stewart taking a break to direct
NEW YORK — Comedy Central says Jon Stewart will take a break from “The Daily Show” starting in June to direct and produce his first feature film.
The network said Tuesday that correspondent-writer John Oliver will host the fake news show for the eight weeks of original episodes scheduled during Stewart’s hiatus. The British-born Oliver has been a “Daily Show” regular since 2006.
Stewart is expected back in the anchor chair shortly after Labor Day, Sept. 2.
The film, titled “Rosewater,” was written by Stewart and is based on a book by Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari.
London resident Bahari was falsely accused of being a spy and imprisoned by the Iranian government in 2009 while covering Iran’s presidential election.
Carly Rae Jepsen cancels date with Boy Scouts of America
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Carly Rae Jepsen is canceling her performance at the national Boy Scouts of America Jamboree because the organization excludes gays.
Jepsen, the Canadian pop singer best known for the inescapable hit “Call Me Maybe,” made the announcement Tuesday on Twitter.
“I always have and will continue to support the LGBT community on a global level,” she wrote, “… and stay informed on the ever changing landscape in the ongoing battle for gay rights in this country and across the globe.”
Rock band Train also has taken a stand, but pursued a different tack in a post on its website Friday. The group asked the BSA to reconsider its policy rather than immediately pull out of the July gathering in West Virginia.
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