- Savannah Fynn says attention she’s received has been overwhelming
- Revealed that she’s also copped a lot of criticism for the way she looks
- Says criticism aimed at singer Dylan Wright was disheartening
Savannah Fynn turned heads performing Welcome to Country at the State of Origin opener last month, but has since revealed that not all of the attention she’s received has been positive.
Fynn spoke with maturity beyond her years when she acknowledged the traditional owners of the land in front of 80,000 footy fans, before declaring ‘may the best team win’ while kitted out in Blues gear.
The 22-year-old uni student’s speech was praised by many viewers, but Fynn says she’s also received a lot of criticism.
‘I was just so worried I would stutter or mess up my words because I’d never spoken in front of that many people,’ Fynn told Stellar.
‘But once I finished, I felt a moment of relief. I ran straight over to my nan, obviously one of my Elders, and I gave her a big hug and a cuddle.
‘It’s definitely an overwhelming feeling, getting all this attention. It’s not something I’m used to at all.
‘I’m a very quiet person so this is a big change. Even though it’s all positive, I struggle with taking compliments and I get a bit shy. I’m kind of ready for it to die down!’
‘As sad as it is, being a lighter skin colour, I’ve received a lot of hate for that.
‘A lot of people have picked on the way I look, the way I speak, even coming down to having blonde hair. My hair is actually dark, I’ve just dyed it blonde.
‘I think people also get very confused as to what an Acknowledgement and Welcome actually is. We’re not welcoming you to Australia; obviously you live here.
‘We’re welcoming you to the traditional owners of that land and acknowledging the traditional land. And in terms of comments about overuse, I feel you have to respect everyone’s opinions, even if you may not agree.
‘Being a First Nations person, I find it wonderful seeing my culture embraced. But obviously you can’t please everyone.’
Fynn revealed that she’d received 500 Instagram follow requests immediately following her Welcome to Country at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, but singer Dylan Wright was savaged for his performance of the national anthem on the same night.
The 2024 Australian Idol winner delivered a stripped-down, guitar-based rendition of Advance Australia Fair that triggered torrents of criticism online.
Eagle-eyed viewers also noticed that Blues player Jake Trbojevic also appeared to take a disliking to what he was hearing, with his expression soon becoming a meme on social media.
‘I found it disgusting the way people were speaking about poor Dylan,’ Fynn said
‘It was really disheartening and it made my heart hurt.’