Cher accused of lip-synching in major TV performance

The pop icon has hosted a rare performance to celebrate her new Christmas song, but viewers were left unimpressed over one big faux pas.

Pop icon Cher has given a rare live performance of her new Christmas song at the legendary Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

The 77-year-old Grammy winner sang her absolute bop DJ Play A Christmas Song in New York on Thursday, which was televised on NBC.

And despite the performance earning praise among her loyal fans, many viewers called out the Believe singer for what they felt was an obvious display of lip-synching.

Cher performed at the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with viewers accusing her of lip synching.

Cher’s voice sounded identical to the audio track of the heavily auto-tuned dance song from her newly-released 27th studio album, Christmas, which marks her first original music in a decade.

At one stage during her pop-up show, a male dancer approached Cher to take off her white coat, forcing the singer to move her microphone away from her mouth – her voice continuing to ring loudly.

Cher’s voice could still be heard despite the microphone being away from her mouth.

Certain viewers described it as one of the “worst” lip syncs they’d witnessed:

I’ve never seen a worse lip sync than Cher right now

— Jawn-Ralphio (@THR33von) November 23, 2023

I mean couldn’t she have tried a little harder to sell the lip sync? #Cher

— Jason Lienhardt (@JasonALienhardt) November 23, 2023

Shout out to Cher to not even pretend to live sing. If you're going to lip sync, at least embrace the full auto-tune and camp of it all. #MacysParade

— Kate Padilla (@katempadilla) November 23, 2023

When are we gonna stop pretending that they sing live during the parade? It’s not a Cher concert, it’s a cher lip sync.

— Emily Logan (@STSporthorses) November 23, 2023

Regardless, attendees and viewers from home enjoyed the overall display, with many fans declaring the veteran was “still killing it.”

Saw Cher perform during the Parade, today. Glad to report that I am still gay; was tapping my foot and grooving to the song. pic.twitter.com/6jAHn6tzTi

— Jason (Mo, Giz Mo fella) (@GizmosSpace) November 23, 2023

Delightful moment of @FlavorFlav celebrating @cher

pic.twitter.com/wj7oBHSvqi

— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) November 23, 2023

Cher at Macy's Thanksgiving parade! Still killing it as usual. @cherpic.twitter.com/YQA7iMqrTD

— Cher Fan (@CherFan_) November 23, 2023

Earlier, Cher appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon where she explained how she came to the decision to record her first ever festive album following a lengthy hiatus from making music.

Her mother Georgia Holt died aged 96 last year just before Christmas Day, with Cher wanting to dedicate the album to her.

Cher’s Christmas album has rocketed to number 1 on the US iTunes chart. Picture: Supplied.

“I couldn’t find myself, or see myself, in a Christmas album. So I just said to the record company, if you’d just leave me alone [to do this],” she said.

“I was in my house, I recorded most of it in my house, but I just picked out these songs that don’t necessarily go together, but when you put them together, it’s really good. It’s just to have a happy thing.”

Stevie Wonder, 73, also loans his vocals to the album to sing What Christmas Means to Me alongside Cher, with the star revealing it was surprisingly easy to get him on-board.

“I called him and I said, ‘Hi Stevie it’s me’. And I was like, ‘This is what I want. I’ve done your song but there’s some parts I can’t do.’ And he said, ‘OK, consider it done.’”

Originally published as Cher accused of lip-synching in major TV performance