Singer Emma Tomlinson Explains State of Origin Anthem Mishap After Online Backlash

Singer-songwriter Emma Tomlinson has spoken out after her national anthem performance at the State of Origin series decider drew heavy criticism online.

Tomlinson performed Advance Australia Fair before Game III at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night, but viewers quickly noticed that her vocals appeared to fall out of sync with the backing track.

What many fans did not realise at the time, however, was that the singer was dealing with a major technical issue while performing in front of a packed stadium.

Tomlinson Reveals In-Ear Monitors Failed During Performance

After the performance, Tomlinson took to Instagram to explain what had gone wrong.

According to the singer, she had “no sound” in her in-ear monitors and was forced to rely on the stadium audio around her, making it extremely difficult to stay in time with the music.

She said she could not properly hear herself during the anthem and had to lean on the arena sound, as well as the crowd singing along, to get through the performance.

Despite the difficult moment, Tomlinson said she remained proud to have been given the honour of singing the national anthem at such a major sporting event.

Emotional Response After Online Criticism

In a follow-up video, Tomlinson became emotional as she thanked supporters who had reached out after the performance.

She acknowledged that the anthem had not gone as planned, but said the technical issue made the moment far more challenging than viewers may have realised.

The singer said she was deeply grateful for the messages of encouragement she had received, especially after facing a wave of criticism on social media.

For Tomlinson, what should have been one of the biggest nights of her career quickly turned into a difficult public moment — but the support from fans appeared to mean a great deal.

Fans Divided Over The Anthem Moment

Immediately after the anthem, social media was flooded with reactions, with many viewers criticising the performance without knowing about the sound problem.

However, others quickly came to Tomlinson’s defence, pointing out that the issue appeared to be technical rather than vocal.

Some fans argued that she had been placed in an almost impossible situation if she could not hear the music properly through her earphones.

One viewer said the singer had been let down by the sound setup, while another suggested she “didn’t stand a chance” under the circumstances.

Not The First Anthem Controversy This Series

The incident came after the anthem performance in Game I of this year’s State of Origin series also attracted criticism.

Singer Robbie Mortimer, who is related to rugby league great Steve Mortimer, was heavily discussed online after delivering a country-style version of the anthem.

Some viewers felt the performance sounded unusual, with several comparing his accent to an American-style country twang.

That reaction, combined with the criticism of Tomlinson’s Game III performance, has made the anthem one of the unexpected talking points of this year’s Origin series.

A Difficult Moment Under The Spotlight

While many viewers were quick to judge Tomlinson’s performance, her explanation has since shifted the conversation for some fans.

Performing live at a packed stadium is already a high-pressure moment, but doing so without working in-ear monitors can make it incredibly difficult for any singer to stay connected with the music.

For Tomlinson, the night may not have unfolded the way she hoped, but her response showed just how emotional and challenging the moment was behind the scenes.