Glastonbury’s John Peel stage renamed over abuse claims

GLASTONBURY is set to rename its John Peel stage after 18 years following controversy over the DJ’S relationships with underage girls.

The Glastonbury Festival has renamed its John Peel stage “Woodsies” this year, which it said was not in relation to a petition to rename the stage over claims surrounding Peel’s relationships with young fans.

In an interview, Emily Eavis, the Glastonbury organiser, said the decision to rename the stage stemmed from a push to name stages after the fields they stand in such as West Holts or Silver Hayes.

She told The Guardian: “We’ve had 20 years of John Peel and it’s been an honour to use his name.” She added that the change was not a response to a 2022 petition calling for the name change because of Peel’s marriage to Shirley Anne Milburn, a 15-year-old girl, when he was 25.

“I haven’t got involved in that because it’s not our area,” she said. “We’ve had a really good relationship with the Peel family and everyone’s on board.”

The BBC also last month renamed its John Peel wing, with the broadcaster stating the change would make the building less confusing to navigate, according to The Sunday Times.

Peel, who died in 2004, married Milburn in Texas, and the wedding was legal at the time. The marriage was reportedly an unhappy one and broke down in 1973.