British pop star Sophie Ellis Bextor fired a new salvo in her anti-fur campaign by attacking the ethics of a host of celebrities attending the MTV Europe Music Awards.
The pop singer, who earlier posed with a skinned fox in an advertisement for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said she was horrified at the sight of fur at the ceremony at the Palau Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona.
"I have seen some of the celebrities wearing it tonight and it really disappoints me," she said. "I think it is obscene and vulgar."
Ellis Bextor has proved a potent weapon in the "fur wars" against fashion houses Dior, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, which have featured fur in their winter collections.
Her broadside provided a rare ethical dimension to the otherwise carefully choreographed ninth MTV Europe Music Awards, broadcast worldwide and dominated as predicted by Eminem.
The Detroit rapper collected awards for best male act, best hip-hop act and best album for The Eminem Show.
Visibly moved, he thanked the audience and fans for their support saying: "I couldn't do it without you guys."
Before receiving the awards in front of an audience of 13,000, Eminem performed a selection of his most popular songs although he agreed to drop the expletives to spare MTV bosses' blushes.
The award for best pop act went to Kylie Minogue, while Alicia Keys took the award for best R&B act.
Linkin Park were picked as best hard-rock group.
Coldplay were named best United Kingdom and Ireland Act. Accepting the award, the band's frontman, Chris Martin, said: "Thank you very much, this is mega. We didn't think we would win this because we are not as sexy as the Sugababes".
More than 15 million viewers of the music channel cast their votes in this year's awards, voting online, by mobile phone and at booths.
The channel boasts that the show is "the most widely broadcast music awards event in the world" with up to a billion viewers, and it attracted a glittering line-up of stars.
Alongside Eminem on the bill were Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Robbie Williams, Whitney Houston, Enrique Iglesias and Bon Jovi.
- INDEPENDENT
Sophie's on fur patrol
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