“Something on the Side”: Nando’s Pokes Fun at Coldplay Cheating Drama with Funny Advert

• After an alleged cheating scandal at a Coldplay concert in America went viral, Nando's decided to join in on the fun
• The restaurant revealed a poster that humorously hinted at what had allegedly taken place between Astronomer's CEO Andy Byron and HR Executive Kristin Cabot
• A few social media users on Reddit loved the cheekiness Nando's had displayed and pointed out that the poster wasn't from a South African franchise

Nando's has once again shown its mischievous side and poked fun at the duo who were allegedly caught cheating at a Coldplay concert. The event took place on 16 July 2025 at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, America.

In a Reddit post, r/southafrica shared on its account that the flame-grilled chicken establishment was "at it again" when a poster read:

"Little something on the side? Enter COLDPLAY for a free Regular Side with any main."

While Nando's is a South African restaurant with international franchises, the poster originally appeared on the Australian franchise's Instagram account.

Read also

"They're quite rare": Men rediscover the world's smallest snake, return creeps out South Africans

The Coldplay cheating scandal

Internet sleuths alleged that the couple was US company Astronomer's CEO Andy Byron and HR executive Kristin Cabot, who are both married to other people and were caught embracing each other on the kiss cam at the concert.

When the camera landed on them, both appeared shocked, with the man ducking for cover and the woman covering her face with her hands, turning away from the camera.

Coldplay's frontman, Chris Martin, said of their actions:

"Uh-oh, what? Either they're having an affair, or they're just very shy."

The pop culture-related publication Pop Base shared the alleged affair clip on its X account:

While the clip sparked many humorous memes and recreations of the embrace from thousands of social media users, Byron reportedly stepped down as CEO amid the cheating allegations.

Internet laughs at Nando's advert

A few Reddit users found the poster quite comical and shared their thoughts under the post.

Read also

"Black wealth": Mzansi wide-eyed over matric dance vlog showcasing rich vibes

u/sunflowers_l said to the online community:

"The way everyone’s using Coldplay as a marketing strategy is hilarious."

u/invest1gat0r2003 responded to u/sunflowers_l with a laugh:

"You know their shenanigans. Even their UK and Ireland TikTok account posted on that video saying even their food isn't that spicy."

u/ombre-purple-pickle jokingly wrote in the comment section:

"Oh, this is evil. I love it."

u/Seemeow asked:

"Do we actually get a free chips with something if we say Coldplay or something?"

u/transafrica typed:

"And the side is 'regular'. Love it"

Take a look at Nando's advert in the Reddit post below:

Since then, Kristin has officially resigned from her role as Chief People Officer at Astronomer. Her decision came shortly after the kisscam video with Andy went viral. Following the incident, Byron stepped down from his CEO position, and both he and Kristin were placed on administrative leave.

Their profiles were later removed from the company’s website. Astronomer confirmed her resignation and has since appointed co-founder Pete DeJoy as interim CEO. The company said it remains focused on upholding professional standards. Neither Kristin nor Andy has spoken publicly about the situation.

Read also

"Kasi edition": Young man nails Nicki Minaj's viral TikTok pose challenge, impresses SA

Page Six reports that Kristin was recently spotted without her wedding ring, after the cheating scandal was caught in 4K. The sighting has sparked speculation about the state of her marriage. The incident continues to attract media attention as observers watch for signs of personal fallout beyond their professional exits.

3 More stories about Nando's adverts

• In another article, Briefly News reported that Nando's received backlash from South Africans after using a woman's video without crediting her. People urged the restaurant to provide the woman with financial compensation.
• In March, local rapper Sizwe Alakine became Nando's target when the restaurant joined the conversation surrounding him and his girlfriend, rapper Gigi Lamayne. Sizwe, also known as Reason, responded to the comical tweet.
• The year 2022 saw Nando's joking about Eskom's former CEO. Andre de Ruyter resigned from the monopoly energy company after exposing corruption at the utility.

Read also

"Are you not entertained?" : SA amateur team wows with viral showboating goal

Hilary Sekgota, Human Interest HOD at Briefly News, contributed to this article.

Source: Briefly News