A British influencer who sparked widespread outrage after she ‘trivialised’ Anzac Day has issued a grovelling apology as she returns to the UK.
Allegra Phipps, who documented a three-week trip around Australia in April, appears to have flown home in the weeks following the controversy.
Ms Phipps was accused of trivialising the solemn day of remembrance after she shared a since-deleted video of herself dancing and enjoying ‘pre drinks’ at 7am.
Anzac Day is traditionally marked by dawn services and moments of reflection before large crowds travel to pubs and RSL clubs to play two-up.
Now Ms Phipps has offered an apology, admitting she failed to grasp the weight of Anzac Day and conceding her comments were ‘misguided’.
‘I was trying to express an appreciation for the sense of unity that the day can bring,’ she told the Daily Mail this week.
‘I did not mean to celebrate the day in a way that overlooks its true significance or the sacrifices it represents.’
Ms Phipps admitted the criticism of her first video was ‘fair’, saying she deleted the clip as soon as she realised the offence it had caused.
Allegra Phipps, who had been documenting her trip around the country for more than 51,000 followers, has flown back to the United Kingdom
Ms Phipps shared a video of herself dancing and enjoying ‘pre-drinks’ at 7am and quickly deleted the footage, but not before social media users accused her of trivialising the day
However, eagled-eyed Aussies were quick to repost screenshots of the video.
‘Once I understood the significance of Anzac Day and how my post came across, I knew the right thing was to take it down,’ she continued.
‘I’m sorry for any offence or hurt I caused.’
Aussies initially questioned whether Ms Phipps had grasped the importance of Anzac Day after she shared her initial video.
‘Why are we having pres for Anzac Day?’ one person wrote in the comments.
Another said: ‘Referring to Anzac Day as the best day of the year is just extremely out of touch.’
A third suggested Phipps may have misunderstood which public holiday it was.
‘Surely, they’re mixing it up with Australia Day? That’s all I can fathom,’ she said.
