Loki Composer Natalie Holt Once Caused Controversy by Throwing Eggs at Simon Cowell

Loki composer Natalie Holt is currently making headlines for her trippy and commanding score for the Marvel Disney+ series; however, Holt was also once the center of some controversy, for throwing eggs at American Idol and X Factor host Simon Cowell, while she was a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent. In 2013, Natalie Holt wrote an opinion piece for The Guardian, which was aptly titled “Why I pelted Simon Cowell with eggs”. Needless to say, now that Hot is getting mainstream fame for her composer work on Marvel’s Loki, it didn’t take the Internet long to dig up Holt’s old op-ed. But if anything, it’s likely only going to increase her street cred with Marvel fans.

Here’s what Natalie Holt wrote in her 2013 op-ed, explaining why she interrupted a performance showcase round of Britain’s Got Talent, by pelting Simon Cowell with eggs:

On Saturday evening, after serious consideration, I decided to make a little act of protest about something that matters profoundly to me. Before any explanation of that gesture, I’d like to apologise unequivocally to Richard and Adam, the contestants whose performance I disrupted… However, I am not sorry for pelting Simon Cowell with eggs…Given that I had been asked to mime on stage, it was not difficult for me to put down my violin and pull the organic eggs out of my tights, and take a direct shot at Cowell; he was smiling as I threw the eggs and he seemed to take it in the right spirit.

I have no desire to be famous and I’m not an attention seeker. My actions were intended as a non-violent, egg-based protest because I think Cowell has too much power and influence in the entertainment industry. I also just wanted to make him look a bit silly. I hoped it would come across as a British panto-style jape, which might also generate some more serious debate.. Everyone is scared of standing up to people like Cowell. I don’t dislike him personally; I just don’t like what he represents.

In her deeper explanation, Holt argues for the idea that reality TV competitions like Britain’s Got Talent are exploiting musical talent rather than nurturing it. She was also pretty clear about the ramifications of her act: she lost gigs and got slandered by some industry figures and press outlets – although she also received support from sympathetic fans and other musicians too scared to speak out publicly.

At the end of the day, Natalie Holt has managed to go from that stage of Britain’s Got Talent to having her skill as a composer and musician validated by millions of Marvel fans all over the world. Ironically enough, she may have one person to thank for that success:

“PR people and agents have made it known, however, that my actions might have more serious consequences for me,” Holt wrote in closing to her op-ed. “So I would like to thank Cowell for not pressing charges.”

Loki streams new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.