Burberry much Adele’s rude gesture at the Brit Awards

British singer-songwriter Adele poses on the red carpet arriving at the BRIT Awards 2012 in London on February 21, 2012. (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty Images)

Burberry much Adele’s rude gesture at the Brit Awards,Adele accepts her Best British Female Award from Kylie Minogue at The Brit Awards 2012 at The O2 Arena on February 21, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Adele, left, gestures shortly after receiving an award for album of the year during the Brit Awards 2012 at the O2 Arena in London, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012. Adele made the gesture after the shows host, actor James Corden, right, cut short her second acceptance speech. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan) (Associated Press)

Singer Adele performs onstage at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 12, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Singer Adele poses in the press room at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 12, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

In this image photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and released by Vogue, singer Adele is shown on the cover of the March issue. The singer vows to never write a breakup record again and adds shes done being a bitter witch. (AP Photo/Vogue) (Associated Press)

Adele performs during the 54th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) (Associated Press)

Singer Adele cries as she accepts her Grammy for Album of the Year at the Staples Center during the 54th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 12, 2012. (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty Images)

Adele made her much anticipated return to live performances on the 54th Annual Grammy Awards February 12, 2012. (Lauren Dukoff/Columbia Records) (McClatchy-Tribune News Service)

In this Feb. 15, 2011 file photo, Adele performs on stage during the Brit Awards 2011, at The O2 Arena in London. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file) (Associated Press)

Singer Adele poses for a portrait session to promote her new album 21 on January 10, 2011, in London. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

British songstress Adele was crowned best new artist at the 2009 Grammy Awards. The London native also scored an additional Grammy Award that year for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. (Lauren Dukoff)

Adele holds thBurberry muche best female pop vocal performance and best new artist awards backstage at the 2009 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.(AP Photo/Matt Sayles) (AP)

Musician Adele performs at the 9:30 Club on January 17, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Musician Adele performs at the 9:30 Club on January 17, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

British singer Adele arrives at the Brit Awards 2008 in London, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (AP)

The British singer Adele performs a few dance steps on the wet carpet on arrival for the Mercury Music Awards in Central London on September 9, 2008. (MAX NASH/AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty Images)

JILL LAWLESS

Associated Press

LONDON Soulful songstress Adele capped a momentous year of Grammy Awards triumph and medical woes with a double win at the U.K.&8217;s Brit music awards Tuesday, taking prizes for album of the year and best British female solo artist before an obscene gesture after the show&8217;s host cut her acceptance speech short.

It has been a dramatic year for down-to-earth north London diva Adele, who based her chart-topping songs of heartbreak on a rocky relationship.

Her sophomore album &8220;21&8243; won six Grammys last week and has sold more than 6 million copies in the United States alone. But Adele also had to undergo vocal cord surgery in November to fix a potentially career-threatening throat condition.

She delivered a powerhouse performance of her single &8220;Rolling in the Deep&8221; to thousands of ns and industry insiders at London&8217;s O2 arena.

&8220;It&8217;s been an amazing year,&8221; Adele said as she received the female artist statuette from petite pop star Kylie Minogue.

&8220;I feel like a drag queen next to you,&8221; joked the winner, who wore a sleek black Burberry gown but towered over Minogue. She thanked her record company &8220;for letting me be the kind of artist I want to be.&8221;

The show&8217;s host, actor James Corden, cut off Adele&8217;s second acceptance speech, prompting the singer to make a rude middle-finger gesture in frustration.

She stressed afterward that it was aimed at industry leaders, not her ns.

&8220;I&8217;m sorry if I offended anyone but it was the suits that offended me,&8221; Adele said. &8220;Thank you all very much and thanks to my ns. I don&8217;t want them to think I was swearing at them.&8221;

The show&8217;s broadcaster, ITV, issued a statement apologizing to Adele for cutting her off.

&8220;We regret this happened and we send deepest apologies to Adele that her big moment was cut short tonight due to the live show over-running,&8221; ITV said.

The 23-year-old lost out on the British single prize to boy band One Direction&8217;s &8220;What Makes You Beautiful,&8221; but took the coveted album of the year award for &8220;21.&8221; The statue was presented by singer George Michael, returning to the stage after suffering life-threatening pneumonia in December.

The ceremony also included tributes to two departed divas, Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse.

JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON Soulful songstress Adele capped a momentous year of Grammy Awards triumph and medical woes with a double win at the U.K.&8217;s Brit music awards Tuesday, taking prizes for album of the year and best British female solo artist before an obscene gesture after the show&8217;s host cut her [...]

Read More