"the second they were told she’s Sikh, she was dropped."
Narinder Kaur was removed at the last minute from a McDonald’s VIP event after she told organisers she was Sikh and couldn’t eat beef.
The broadcaster had her place fully confirmed, including plus-ones for her children, for the fast-food giant’s “Secret Menu” launch in London on January 23, 2026.
But after her agent highlighted a dietary requirement and explained that Narinder and her children avoid beef, her invitation was suddenly withdrawn, with organisers citing “capacity issues”.
Narinder had been set to attend alongside celebrity fashion designer Josh Birch Jones. His invite remained unaffected.
A source told The Sun: “They were chasing Narinder to come, locking her time slot in and confirming everything.
“Then, the second they were told she’s Sikh, she was dropped. That’s the only thing that changed.
“If capacity really was an issue, why didn’t the company ask Narinder and Josh’s agent if one could step down?
“Why wasn’t an alternative slot offered? Instead, the Sikh guest was removed outright.”
The event presents “never-before-seen” menu hacks and the party was due to include a DJ set and drinks as well as a taste of the dishes.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “We strongly refute that we would ever make a decision about hosting someone based on religion, or any other characteristic.
“We hold events like this regularly, introducing exciting new products to brand fans from all backgrounds, reflecting the incredibly diverse customer base and employees we are so proud of.
“We sincerely apologise to Narinder for the mistake made around her invite to the event.
“We have reached out to assure her that this mistake was unintentional and that we regularly welcome people who don’t eat beef to events, to enjoy the variety of other products we provide.”
A friend close to Narinder Kaur said the decision was particularly upsetting because she rarely brings her children to work events:
“Narinder never brings her kids to work things; they were genuinely excited.
“They were going to do something fun together and suddenly they were excluded.”
The friend added that the timing made it even more painful, coming just days after Narinder spoke publicly about the impact of non-consensual AI Grok images made of her.
They said: “She’s had a really tough time lately after being humiliated by those images. This was meant to be something positive, a bit of joy with her kids after everything she’s been through.
“Instead, it turned into another knock.”
The non-consumption of beef appeared to result in criticism towards Narinder, who responded in an Instagram Story:
“Interesting how some Sikhs are saying, ‘Who said Sikhs can’t eat beef?’ (Like literally missing the point because guilty maybe?)
“FYI… My parents raised me to never touch beef as a Sikh. That’s how I live my life… you do you though.”
Loading ...