Anne-Marie has issued an apology following her performance on last night's (29 February) Saturday Night Takeaway.
The 28-year-old singer was part of the 'end of the show show' with the Geordie duo - Ant and Dec - who danced behind her as she sung 'Ciao Adios'.
The performance incorporated the historical 'Rising Sun' Japanese flag, which was printed on the sweatbands Ant and Dec wore around their heads.
According to the MailOnline, the symbol was used as propaganda, championing the culture of war. The flags were carried by soldiers and were raised when enemy territories fell to Japanese forces, and is associated with Japanese war crimes and militarisation.
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In response to the backlash she received for the sketch, Anne-Marie wrote a statement that she posted on to Twitter.
It read: "I sincerely apologize to all those who were affected and hurt by my appearance last night on a UK TV.
"I want you to know I had nothing to do with the costumes on this sketch. Unfortunately, education on this part of the history wasn't done and I am also hurt by the pain this signifies for so many people.
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"I'm truly sorry and I promise you that this will not happen again. Our team is talking to the TV station, working on taking down the footage, so that it does not cause any more pain."
In response, many fans were quick to forgive. One wrote: "Thank you for this, and we truly understand you. Love you."
Another added: "We all know you'd never do this on purpose. Taking responsibility for this, even tho you didn't know, shows what an amazing person you are. Hope you're alright."
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A third commented: "The biggest thing with a mistake, whether it was in your power or not, is learning from it and being aware. Not many people would have spoken up let alone apologised. Sending you all the love."
Someone else wrote: "I hope you're alright. We know you'd never do this if you knew what it meant before. I think many people didn't know it. You're an amazing person for bringing this up and apologizing even tho it wasn't your fault! I love you so much."
An ITV spokesperson told LADbible: "We apologise for any offence caused during the End of the Show Show by the costumes worn. This was clearly unintended and we have taken steps to re-edit that part of the episode for the Hub and for repeat broadcasts."
Featured Image Credit: ITVTopics: Entertainment, Music, saturday night takeaway
