Why did Jess Glyne call out The White House? Drama explained

Pop star Jess Glynne wasn’t expecting to get sucked into U.S. political drama, but there she was this week, publicly slamming The White House for co‑opting one of her songs in an X post about deportations. It all comes down to The White House’s tone-deaf social media messaging that clashed with her message of love and unity.

She saw her 2015 hit Hold My Hand paired with a viral Jet2Holiday meme sound in a government post joking about ICE deportations, and it didn’t sit well. On her Instagram, she didn’t hold back:

“This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity – never about division or hate.”

What began as a cheeky meme trend became a political minefield, and Jess was determined to set the record straight.

Why Jess Glynne called out The White House: the drama explained

When The White House posted a clip showing migrants boarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights, they added the viral Jet2Holiday voiceover – “nothing beats a Jet2 holiday”, on top of Jess Glynne’s Hold My Hand. The post read,

“When ICE books you a one‑way Jet2 holiday to deportation. Nothing beats it!”

When ICE books you a one-way Jet2 holiday to deportation. ✈️🎶

Nothing beats it! pic.twitter.com/hlLapr9QsE

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 29, 2025

Social media users called it “disgusting,” “vile,” even “dystopian.” Jess, known for her upbeat, inclusive vibe, immediately objected. She posted on Instagram: “This post honestly makes me sick. My music is about love, unity, and spreading positivity – never about division or hate.” She was crystal-clear: her song and its upbeat imagery were never intended to soundtrack a message about deporting people.

Voiceover artist Zoë Lister, the woman behind the Jet2 meme voice, also protested. She questioned on Instagram stories: “What can be done about the White House using Jet2’s sound and my voiceover to promote their nasty agenda?” Lister has previously embraced the meme trend but only in lighthearted contexts.

The original Jet2 advert, a British airline promo offering “£50 off per person”, blew up on TikTok, often used to dub ridiculous or chaotic situations. Celebs such as Jeff Goldblum and Mariah Carey even hopped on the trend, giving it extra viral wattage.

But the Trump administration (now in its second term) flipped the script, using it to publicize their deportation machine. A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, defended the clip:

“There is nothing more unifying and positive than deporting criminal illegal aliens and making American communities safer. The memes will continue until every criminal illegal alien is removed!”

To Jess, this was the ultimate misuse. Hold My Hand, a song about connection, shouldn’t have become the soundtrack to dividing and removing people. She insisted that her music was being repurposed for something antithetical to its spirit.

The fallout? Social media backlash amplified fast, with users accusing The White House of tone-deaf cynicism. Even the Jet2 brand was tagged in outrage: fans demanded to know if they were okay with their meme being used in a government post about deportations.

In short, Jess Glynne called out The White House because a meme meant to poke fun at holiday fails was weaponized to celebrate deportation flights, completely misaligned with her message of unity. The drama is a textbook case of internet culture colliding with political PR, and it blew up fast, forcing the singer and meme voice artist to step forward and protest. The incident raises bigger questions: when meme formats and pop songs get politicized, who owns the narrative, and can creators reclaim it?