Ariana Grande 'ignores' devastated fans waiting in the rain at Wicked premiere

Ariana Grande was joined by her fellow Wicked cast mates on the red carpet in London on Monday evening as fans eagerly camped out in the torrential rain in the hope of catching a glimpse of the star

The cast of the new Wicked film descended on London on Monday night as they celebrated the premiere of the highly-anticipated musical set to be released on Friday. But fans hoping to get pictures signed by Ariana Grande were left disappointed when the star was whizzed away by staff as heavy rain hit the red carpet.

Some eager fans began queuing outside the venue at 2pm ahead of the evening premiere, with pictures, albums and merchandise in tow with the intentions of getting it signed by Ariana, 31. One fan wrote "so excited" as they shared a picture of them stood outside the barricades.

But as the red carpet was set to begin, rain descended on those waiting in the cold to speak to the pop princess. Another fan shared a video of them stood in the "pouring rain" as their photograph from the 2019 Sweetener tour got soaking wet.

While some of the stars attending the premiere stopped to chat to waiting fans - including Ariana's brother Frankie Grande, 41 - the singer failed to stop as she was "dragged inside" by security. In a video shared on social media platform X, she can be seen holding hands with a member of security and making her way inside the Royal Festival Hall, failing to stop and chat to screaming fans.

Ariana wore a striking floor-length yellow gown for the occasion, which can be seen getting wet as she walks without an umbrella through the red carpet - which is actually green in reference to the film. Sharing the video, one fan expressed their disappointment, writing: "She didn't stop for anyone."

As some came to the singer's defence in the comments, she added: "Everyone replying saying 'it's raining' like I didn't know. We all stood in it for hours. She wanted to meet fans but was being dragged away."

But some felt Ariana should have stopped and met with the waiting fans, with one person writing: "That's so sh** to her fans that waited hours." Another added: "She could have stopped security from pulling her inside."

And while fans failed to get their photographs signed, some were happy to have seen Ariana in-person. "I'm so happy I got to see her after five years."

They added: "The rain ruined everything. It was raining non-stop for five hours." For the film, singing superstar Ariana has gone back to her Broadway roots as she stars as Glinda the Good Witch in the upcoming movie adaptation of the hit musical Wicked.

The production is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz story that focuses on the friendship between Elphaba (Eriva), a young woman with green skin, and Glinda (Grande), who is a popular girl. For the plot, the story takes place in the Land of Oz and follows the pals as they take on life-changing events.