Boy George has withdrawn from playing King Herod in the forthcoming London Palladium production of Jesus Christ Superstar, his manager has confirmed. The decision follows criticism of his AI-generated pro-Israel song “We Will Dance Again”, with the manager saying stepping aside would allow the musical to remain the focus, although no specific reason was given.

Manager Paul Kemsley apologised to ticket-holders who had expected to see George, 65, perform. Released last week, “We Will Dance Again” references the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel’s Nova music festival and includes lyrics disputing the term genocide in relation to the Israel-Gaza war; George described it as “AI for good” and said the reaction had caused personal divisions.