Reba McEntire Slammed for ‘Embarrassing’ Mistake During NBC Tree Lighting

NBC’s annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center drew a huge crowd Wednesday night, but it wasn’t just the tree lighting that had viewers talking. The real viral moment? Host Reba McEntire struggling—again—to pronounce singer Laufey’s name.

During the live event in Midtown Manhattan, Reba introduced 26-year-old Laufey but seemed to have a different pronunciation ready each time she said her name. Viewers at home didn’t let it slide, taking to Twitter to share their amusement—and to finally learn the correct way to say it.

“Watching the tree lighting and I never would have guessed that’s how you pronounce Laufey,” one fan tweeted. Another wrote, “That’s how you say Laufey???” A third added, “Reba fighting for her life trying to pronounce ‘Laufey’ correctly during the Christmas Tree Lighting is cracking me up.”

Born and raised in Iceland, Laufey pronounces her name “Lay-vay” and has had to clarify the pronunciation before. In a 2023 interview, she explained, “It’s a common Icelandic female name, actually, but you know it’s two vowels that just don’t exist in English. The English version is ‘Lay-vay.’” She added that her name is rooted in Norse mythology as the name of Loki’s mother.

Laufey has been steadily building a global fan base with her jazz-pop sound. A former cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, she gained early attention in talent competitions before launching her music career. Her debut EP, Typical of Me, dropped in 2021, followed by her full album Bewitched, which earned her a 2024 Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

While Reba wrestled with pronunciation on live TV, Laufey’s star keeps rising. She’s appeared on The Tonight Show and The Kelly Clarkson Show, once even giving Clarkson a quick lesson on how to say her name—and Björk’s—correctly.

The Rockefeller Center broadcast also featured performances from Gwen Stefani, Marc Anthony, Michael Bublé, Kristin Chenoweth, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, New Edition, Halle Bailey, and, of course, the Rockettes. But for many viewers, the most memorable moment wasn’t the music—it was Reba vs. Laufey’s name.