The 1975 frontman Matty Healy has gone viral for his shock reaction to learning other languages exist.

Singer Matty, who is the son of Loose Women star Denise Welch, faced criticism when he mocked a fan’s name during a signing this week.

In a video posted to social media by the fan, Matty can be heard asking her name as he prepares to sign an autograph for her.

The fan, Dervla, tells him her Irish-language name – to which he responds incredulously: ‘WHAT?’

He went on mockingly: ‘Dervla? That sounds like something you move gravel with.’

Dervla, or Dearbhla, is an Irish-language name meaning daughter of the poet.

One person said it was ‘a horrible response,’ while another asked: ‘At what point does taking the p*** out of someone becausese of their language and culture amount to racism?’

Another, who also has an Irish-language name, agreed it was ‘disappointing,’ adding: ‘Being shamed for having an Irish name is so frustrating and rude.’

Several pointed out that Healy is an Irish surname, calling his reaction to the language ‘ironic.’

Others defended the singer and accused people of ‘making a storm in a teacup’ out of the situation, and Dervla herself insisted it was taken out of context and ‘he wasn’t being horrible to me.’

Matty has never been one to shy away from expressing his opinions, and recently recently spoke out about paid meet-and-greets, blasting them as ‘gross.’

Blasting artists who charge money – sometimes up to hundreds of pounds – to meet fans on tour, he urged them to ‘take the money off the fan’ themselves if it’s something they feel strongly about.

‘I hate paid meet and greets. You’ve paid for the album, you’ve paid for the ticket, you’ve paid for the parking, you get them in the room and somebody’s gone, “How do we monetise that bit?”,’ Matty said.

In conversation with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, he added: ‘It’s no secret that many artists nowadays offer fans a paid chance to meet them in person ahead of their shows.

‘Tell you what, if you want to do paid meet and greets, do them. I stand by it… but you take the money.’

Matty’s latest comments come as The 1975 prepare to tour the world with their new album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, next year.

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