Is Damon Albarn the most miserable man in showbiz? Blur star’s swipe at Graham Norton is just the tip of the iceberg in his history of feuds, takedowns and awkward exchanges

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Damon Albarn surprised people last week when he challenged Graham Norton while on his talk show.

The 57-year-old singer performed with Gorillaz on Friday’s show and then joined actors Adrian Lester, Leo Woodall, Stephen Graham, and Kaley Cuoco for a conversation on the show’s famous couch.

During a conversation about the band’s tour, Damon jokingly pointed out that Graham hadn’t been on the show much, which made the other guests a little uncomfortable and they laughed awkwardly.

Graham, age 62, was able to calm things down, but this isn’t the first time Damon has created an awkward moment on the show.

This isn’t the first time Damon has criticized another celebrity; he’s spoken out against them on several occasions throughout his career.

A lot of Damon Albarn’s success came from the famous musical competition between his band, Blur, and Oasis, often called The Battle of Britpop.

As a longtime fan, it always seemed like the rivalry between these bands was about more than just record sales. Sure, they were competing commercially, but for the guys in the bands – especially the constant back-and-forth between Damon and Liam, and Noel Gallagher – it felt really personal. It wasn’t just a professional disagreement; it was a genuine feud.

The competition for the top of the music charts wasn’t the only source of conflict between the brothers and Damian; their disagreements often became quite personal.

Noel said the bad feelings between the three of them weren’t caused by competition over music, but by a romantic situation where Damon and his brother were both involved with the same person.

In his 2019 book, Don’t Look Back In Anger, Noel Gallagher claimed that Liam and Damon Albarn were both involved with the same woman, and that drug use, specifically cocaine, was also a factor in the situation.

At an awards event, we had our picture taken with the band Blur. Liam then became verbally aggressive, using offensive language towards someone present.

Alan McGee, the man who signed Oasis to Creation Records, reportedly supported Noel’s version of events when it happened.

Look, as a longtime fan, I’ve heard the story a few times. Apparently, it all kicked off with a woman – a real messy situation, honestly. Damon got involved with someone Liam was close to, and that’s what really ignited the whole Britpop rivalry. It wasn’t a one-time thing either; Damon was known for being friendly with a lot of women, but this particular connection with someone in Liam’s circle was the spark that started everything.

After he had a one-night stand with her, things became strained between them. From then on, they were constantly provoking and challenging each other.

That’s where the famous rivalry between the bands began, as they competed to top the music charts.

The rivalry between Blur and Oasis escalated in August 1995 when Blur deliberately released their single, “Country House,” on the same day as Oasis’s single, “Roll With It.”

Up until that point, the bands had been respectful towards each other in public.

Damon said Liam playfully challenged him, which led to their decision to release their songs on the same day.

Oasis scored their first number one with Some Might Say in April 1995.

Damon later explained to NME that he went to Oasis’s party to congratulate them. He said Liam came up to him and, true to form, shouted ‘Number One!’ directly in his face. Damon’s reaction was to think they’d have to wait and see what happened next.

Noel and Liam Gallagher conceded that Blur’s “Country House” topped the charts, making it their most successful song.

In an interview that same year, Noel Gallagher made a shocking statement, wishing Damon Albarn and his Blur bandmate Graham Coxon would contract AIDS and die. He later apologized for the comment, explaining he was heavily under the influence of drugs at the time.

Liam Gallagher later explained that the rivalry between Oasis and Blur started because of a remark made by his brother, Noel. He also dismissed Noel’s suggestion that it had anything to do with both he and Damon Albarn being interested in the same woman.

He clarified on Twitter that he and Damon Albarn never had a disagreement over a romantic interest.

There was always a lot of fun and good times, but things got really unpleasant when Noel Gallagher made a terrible wish for Dermot to get AIDS and die. It wasn’t one of Noel’s better moments, as you know. Love, LG.

He also stated he’s never used drugs with anyone from Blur, adding: ‘I’ve never done cocaine with those guys – you, Noel, and your partner need to try harder.’

I remember when the whole Blur vs. Oasis thing kicked off – it was definitely started by Blur, but later on, Damon Albarn actually said he began to think of Oasis as bullies. It’s interesting to hear him reflect on it that way, realizing how things played out from his perspective.

In the Blur documentary, No Distance Left to Run, Damon Albarn revealed that Noel Gallagher frequently mocked him, which was very upsetting. He compared Oasis to school bullies he had to endure.

Despite years of conflict, the three eventually reconciled. The turning point came when Noel unexpectedly bought Damon a drink after running into him at a bar, signaling a willingness to move past their disagreements.

Skunk Anansie was another band involved in the intense competition of the Britpop era, and their singer, Skin, has talked about some uncomfortable encounters she had with Damon Albarn.

She told NME: ‘We love the Gallaghers, you know? Damon always hated us.’

When asked about her previous statements, Skin (Deborah Dyer) explained that while she wouldn’t call it ‘trouble,’ it’s upsetting to begin a job interview with someone saying that Damon Albarn doesn’t approve of her.

‘I don’t know what his f***ing problem was but it didn’t really matter in the end.’

She reiterated her previous statement to The Independent, explaining, ‘I wasn’t a big fan of Blur, and the feeling was mutual. We didn’t get along with each other.’

I don’t know why, but Damon seems to really dislike me. I get along with everyone else in the band, but Damon always treated me with contempt, as if I was insignificant.

James Blunt was another artist puzzled by Damon’s behavior, recalling that Damon wouldn’t pose for a photo with him when they were both on the Jools Holland show in 2007.

James remembered that after the Jools Holland show, a group photo of all the musicians was taken, but Damon Albarn didn’t want to be in it because James was also appearing on that episode.

When asked if he’d heard this directly, James explained that the show’s management spoke to the producers, and because the person in question is well-known, they agreed to the request. He added that it was strange, as they could have simply told the person to stop being rude.

After that, I was kept waiting in my dressing room. Everyone else – all the musicians – lined up with Jools Holland for a photo with Damon, and then Damon left. I eventually got brought out for a second photo, but only one of them gets put on the Wall of Fame, which feels a bit unnecessary and small-minded.

In 2025, reports surfaced of a disagreement between Damon and Adele following their collaboration on her album.

He said Adele’s desired sound was quite conventional. He explained to The Sun that he did work with her, but he doubted she would actually use any of the material they created together.

‘The thing is she is very insecure. And she doesn’t need to be.’ 

Damon later said his previous statements were misinterpreted, explaining that the rumors of a disagreement were completely false. He expressed surprise at how easily people can create stories from nothing and then focus on the resulting attention.

Even though Damon tried to minimize the stories, Adele was clearly upset by them, admitting she wished she hadn’t asked him to collaborate with her.

Adele recently shared with Rolling Stone that meeting one of her musical heroes turned out to be a disappointing experience. She said it was a classic case of ‘don’t meet your idol,’ and she was especially saddened because she’d been a huge fan of Blur as a child. She expressed regret over spending time with him.

She explained that they couldn’t even complete a single song together during their studio time last year, as nothing they tried felt like a good fit for her album.

Adele responded to Damon’s suggestion that she was insecure, explaining that she had actually asked for his advice about her anxieties regarding a comeback while also being a mother – something he could relate to as a parent himself. She questioned how he could then label her as insecure.

Oh my god, can you believe Damon? He really went there! He started some drama with Taylor Swift, actually accused her of not writing her own songs! I was absolutely floored. It was such a clumsy thing to say, and honestly, a totally unfair attack on her incredible talent. I’m still reeling from it!

Damon faced criticism after he disagreed with a positive review of Taylor Swift’s songwriting. Music critic Mikael Wood had praised her skills, but Damon argued that collaborating on a song isn’t the same as writing it solo.

I’m not criticizing anyone, but there’s a real distinction between writing a song entirely on your own and collaborating with others on it,” he explained to the LA Times in 2022. “That doesn’t mean a co-written song can’t still be excellent, though.”

The reaction was immediate, and Taylor Swift responded directly on Twitter, saying, ‘I used to be a huge fan, but I’m disappointed by what you said.’

I write all of my own music, and it’s really hurtful and untrue to suggest otherwise. You’re entitled to not enjoy my songs, but claiming I don’t write them is completely unfair and damaging.

‘PS I wrote this tweet all by myself in case you were wondering,’ she added.

Damon publicly apologized on Swift’s tweet, saying he completely agreed with her. He explained they’d discussed songwriting, but the conversation was unfortunately twisted into sensationalized online content.

I sincerely apologize. My intention was absolutely not to undermine your talent as a songwriter, and I hope you can understand that.

Damon recently created an awkward situation on The Graham Norton Show by jokingly questioning why it took the host so long to invite him as a guest.

He hadn’t been on the show since 2015, when he appeared alongside his Blur bandmates Alex James, Graham Coxon, and Dave Rowntree. This was before his appearance on Friday’s episode.

Having just shared the stage with Anoushka Shankar and Kara Jackson as part of Gorillaz, he looked at Graham and pointed out, ‘You never asked me to perform again.’

Seemingly trying to move the conversation along, Graham replied: ‘Well, you’re here now.’ 

Damon went on, ‘I recall when I told you about this before, back at a nightclub… does that ring a bell?’

‘What? I was in a nightclub?’ Graham asked, clearly confused.

Damon said he jokingly asked why he wasn’t ever featured on the show while they were both at a nightclub.

‘I have no recollection of that. I must’ve been quite… drunk,’ Graham admitted, to which Damon quipped: ‘It must’ve been one of those nightclubs.’

Honestly, Graham’s final comment really struck me. He admitted it probably did happen, and then playfully said he might have just blocked it out because it was awkward! It was such a relatable thing to say, and it felt like a genuine moment of self-awareness.

Following Damon’s recent remarks, a clip from his 2015 TV appearance resurfaced and quickly spread online. The video showed Damon looking subdued and covering his face while his bandmates from Blur were laughing heartily.

Viewers noticed Damon seemed unhappy and like he wanted to leave, with many commenting that he often appears sullen on the show.

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2026-02-17 04:06