Paloma Faith apologises to Gibraltar residents for greeting crowd with 'Hola Espana'

The singer said it was great to be in a place 'that’s half English and half Spanish'

Paloma Faith (Getty Images)

Paloma Faith has apologised to fans in Gibraltar after addressing a crowd with “Hola España”, sparking boos from audience members.

The singer offended audience members at the Gibraltar Music Festival by confusing the British overseas territory with Spain. Gibraltar has been ruled by Britain since 1713 under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, but Spain continues to claim sovereignty over it. Residents of Gibraltar are British citizens, and most speak English and Spanish.

After shouting ‘Hola Espana,’ she reportedly added: “It’s great to be in a place that’s half English and half Spanish”, prompting more boos. Her mistake was eventually pointed out when jeers continued well into her next song, leading Faith to issue a “rambling apology that lasted more than five minutes”, according to The Telegraph.

She also apologised on Twitter for offending Gibraltians about their heritage, which she said she had no intention of doing.

Representatives for Faith declined to comment any further.