Singer Sinead O’Connor explains why she ripped up the pope's photo on a TV show years ago

The move, during a performance of Bob Marley’s song 'War' on 'Saturday Night Live', marked Sinead O'Connor as a controversial figure for years. Photo: Filepic

Singer Sinéad O’Connor is almost as famous for ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II in 1992 while guest hosting Saturday Night Live as she is for her music.

The world was scandalised, though in later years she proved to have been ahead of her time by explaining she had been protesting sexual abuse by clergy.