Busker Nehanda Ferguson Live-Streams After Daily Sexual Harassment — 'It Makes My Skin Crawl'

Nehanda Ferguson, a singer who has been busking across the West and East Midlands for seven years, says the joy of performing on high streets is being dimmed by daily sexual harassment. She tells the BBC that unwanted comments, sexual innuendo and more invasive behaviour have become a regular part of her working life.

Harassment While Performing

Ferguson describes incidents that range from men making degrading remarks and filming her without consent to more intrusive actions: on separate occasions she says men have rummaged through her handbag, put her in a headlock and persistently propositioned her to go to a hotel. A recent episode in Coventry, where three men made lewd comments, left her wary of wearing the clothes she prefers while performing.

"I can sweep [harassment] under the carpet and keep pretending that it doesn't happen all that often and I'm fine, but in actual fact it happens daily," she told the BBC.

Using Live Streams As A Safety Tool

To protect herself and deter would-be offenders, Ferguson now live-streams many of her performances on TikTok. She says live video helps capture inappropriate behaviour in real time, allows followers to alert help if needed, and creates a deterrent for some troublemakers. Videos of Ferguson confronting men while singing have attracted thousands of views, and she believes having a visible audience online has improved accountability.

Ferguson regularly gets recognised in the street by music fans [BBC]

With more than 100,000 followers, Ferguson says she feels a responsibility to show young women that unwanted sexual attention should not be tolerated. She encourages people to call out harassment only when it is safe to do so, while welcoming positive, non-sexual responses from the public.

Support And Next Steps

Victim Support, a charity that helps people affected by crime, defines sexual harassment as any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes a person feel scared, humiliated or intimidated. Examples include suggestive comments, name-calling, sexual jokes, unwanted flirting and indecent exposure. The charity offers practical assistance and counselling for people affected by harassment.

BBC Action Line also lists further information and support options for people affected by sexual harassment and related crimes. Despite the negative experiences, Ferguson says she will continue to perform because she values the "exchange of joy" between herself and her audiences.