DJ duo The Chainsmokers and German footballer Mesut Özil have pulled out of their scheduled appearances at the Oxford Union.
The pair had been two of the highest-profile speakers due to speak this term.
In an email sent to members yesterday, the Union said that The Chainsmokers’ event next Tuesday had been cancelled “due to illness”.
In the same email, it was announced that Özil’s visit, scheduled for 20 February, had been cancelled for “reasons beyond our control”.
A third speaker, actor, writer and director David Cross, has also pulled out of his appearance. Cross, known for his stand-up comedy as well as performances in Mr Show and Arrested Development, was due to visit on 21 February.
A statement offered by the Oxford Union said: “The reasons for all three of these cancellations are factors beyond our control.
“The schedules of these high-profile individuals, are as you can imagine, incredibly subject to change. Whilst the Union committee work hard to ensure that cancellations are minimal, it’s sometimes just beyond our control.
“The Chainsmokers have both fallen ill, and needed to cancel as they really can’t take on any other commitments with an incredibly hectic tour schedule.
“The other two speakers’ cancellations were also factors for scheduling reasons that were simply beyond our control. It’s a shame that there’s been three in such short succession, but again, it really is down to random chance.”
The Chainsmokers, listed by Forbes as the third-highest paid DJs worldwide, were due to speak on the same evening as singer Paloma Faith.
The New York-based pair, who shot to fame in 2013 following their viral hit ‘#Selfie’, became the first artist to spend 26 weeks in the top five of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart last year with their song ‘Closer’.
Özil, whose Arsenal team-mate Héctor Bellerín became the first active Premier League footballer to appear at the Union on Monday, was due to visit just two days before his side’s Europa League Last-32 game at home to Östersunds.
The 29-year-old, who joined the North London club in 2013, recently signed a new, £350,000-a-week contract, making him the Premier League’s second highest-paid player.
The Union also said it hoped that their appearances could be rearranged.
It said: “Hopefully we’ll be able to rearrange these visits for a later date – I understand it’s disappointing for members to hear, but they should know that we really are doing that we can to secure their visits.
“It’s also worth adding that just as speakers cancel, we’ve also had several additions – busy schedules of course mean that events are sometimes cancelled, but equally means that sometimes things can’t be arranged unless at short notice, which leads to new additions!”
An updated version of the Union’s term card can be found here.
