‘Edvence Estrelia Feair’: Robbie Mortimer slammed over rendition of Australian anthem

Criticism of Robbie Mortimer’s version of Advance Australia Fair at the State of Origin opener was so brutal, the country singer had to put his phone away.

Mortimer sang the anthem before kick-off between Queensland and New South Wales at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Wednesday, in a performance that has since been dubbed one of the worst of all time by rugby league fans.

“Didn’t realise the national anthem was called Edvence Estrelia Feair,” reporter Lachlan McKirdy posted on X.

“Thought he was ‘singing’ it in a different language,” Rhondda Field tweeted.

“Over heard some shocking renditions of the Australian national anthem over the years, but that one takes the cake. That was horrendous. Whoever hired him is tone deaf,” Daniel Watson Hayes added.

But, in a statement on Thursday and as reported by 7 News Australia, the CEO of Borderlines music artist consultancy and management firm Adam Simon came to Mortimer’s defence.

“I’ll be the first to acknowledge that Robbie Mortimer’s rendition of the national anthem may not have gone the way anyone hoped. But what’s happened since says far more about us than it does about him,” he said.

“Nobody deserves to be torn apart by thousands of strangers online over one moment. Robbie is not just a performer – he’s a human being, a mate, and part of our country music family. It takes courage to stand in front of a crowd and sing live, knowing things can go wrong.”

He added: “You don’t have to love the performance to still show kindness.

In response, Mortimer said: “I’ve spent the day off my phone and haven’t replied to many people”.

Though he did add he’d received an “overwhelming amount of support from strangers, friends and wonderful people in our industry”.