Gary Flockhart: It’s all a Brit of a bore at award show

WELL, what were you expecting? The Brit Awards has always been a bit predictable when it comes to handing out those ugly gongs, hasn’t it?

Who the big winners on the night were going to be hardly required Nostradamus-like foresight to predict beforehand, but what has made the Brits watchable in the past is that they rarely pass without some sort of incident - be it Jarvis Cocker flashing his scrawny butt at Michael Jackson (1996), Chumbawumba’s Danbert Nobacon throwing a bucket of water over then Labour cabinet member John Prescott (1998) or Robbie Williams offering Liam Gallagher a square-go.

By comparison, Tuesday night’s awards at London’s O2 Arena seemed tame.

In fact, the only moment of controversy was when Adele - who had just been presented with her British Album award by a slurring George Michael - was cut off during her acceptance speech by host James Corden.

Classy lady that she is, Adele stuck up her middle digit to the TV ‘suits’ who didn’t allow her time to thank her fans because the show was running late and Outstanding Contribution winners Blur were still to perform.

Otherwise, every winner was predictable and many of the performers - especially Olly Murs, Coldplay and Florence and the Machine - gave boring performances.

In fact, the whole affair would have been as dull as ditchwater were it not for the ever-impressive Rihanna, who provided some much-needed colour - quite literally - as she sang in a clear box which contained dancers splashing paint around.