Little ‘angel’ who flipped the bird during nativity play had no idea she was telling school where to go

The mother of a five-year-old girl who kept her middle finger raised during a school play says her “angel” had no idea she was causing such a stir.

A five-year-old girl from the UK who was performing in a nativity production on Tuesday was caught flipping the bird at the audience for nearly the entire show.

Photos shared by her mum Carla Bovingdon show the “impish” Ella Legge, dressed as a cherub with a halo and wings, with her middle finger just in front of her face.

At one point during the performance, Ella was also snapped lifting her other arm into the air in a double bird.

While it looks as if the “angel” is telling her school where to go, it turns out the “subversive act” was an innocent mistake.

Five-year-old Ella Legge flips the bird during her first nativity play – but not all is as it seems. Picture: Kennedy News

Ms Bovingdon, 33, told Kennedy News that Ella was bothered by a hangnail – and was not telling her entire school to “f **k off”.

“The performance was about half an hour long, and I would say 70 per cent of it she had her middle finger up,” said Ms Bovingdon. “I was thinking, ‘Oh God, Ella please stop’. Because she was doing it so innocently, I think most people were thinking, ‘Oh, bless her’.”

It didn’t take long for audience members to notice, including a few teaching assistants who “had a bit of a giggle”, said Ms Bovingdon.

“A few of the older children whispered, ‘Ella’s got her finger up’. Everyone seemed to know what she was doing.”

Ms Bovingdon, from Maldon, England, said she knew her daughter was “completely oblivious” to her gaffe.

Even as she mouthed and motioned to Ella to put her hands down, she eventually had to let her daughter carry on until she was satisfied.

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At one point during proceedings, Ella innocently gives the audience a double middle finger assault. Picture: Kennedy News

“It was so funny because she didn’t realise what she was doing,” said the marketing professional. “I had to keep mouthing ‘Put your finger down’ discreetly, but then I just accepted that she was going to be standing there with her finger up.”

Ms Bovingdon shared photos of Ella in the school play on social media.

“(Ella) wanted to say ‘thank you’ to everyone for liking her picture,” said the mum, “but then she said, ‘I don’t know what’s funny though’. ”

Carla Bovingdon said she found the situation quite hilarious as she knew Ella had absolutely no idea what she was doing. Picture: Kennedy News

“It had to be my child,” said the mum-of-three. “She just thinks she looks cute but doesn’t know why we’re all laughing, which is quite funny. When she’s older I will get (the photos) out again to show her.”

She also warned her daughter to keep her fingers to herself during the following performance, telling Ella the move “wouldn’t be funny this time” around.

“The second performance was much better,” she said. “There was a little bit of clowning around as per usual for her, but it was fine.”

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission