Naughty Boy backs petition to revert Atria name to the Harlequin

Naughty Boy, also known as Shahid Khan, has spent the last decade working with global A-listers to craft chart-topping megahits, collaborating with the likes of Tinie Tempah.

And now the Watford DJ and songwriter has shared a common interest with over a thousand petitioners backing that Watford’s shopping centre should revert back to its original Harlequin name.

George Ryan, 27, launched a petition just hours after the announcement of the Atria name.

He said Atria Watford is “not a catchy name” and it has nothing to do with the area.

As a result, he launched a petition that he hopes will spark conversation and a potential reconsideration.

Since the petition launched, over 1,000 people agreed and signed the petition.

Naughty Boy is among the supporters backing the petition, as he shared it out to his over 200,000 followers on Twitter.

Taken from Naughty Boy's Twitter page

Representatives for Naughty Boy were contacted.

In over a week, a Watford Observer poll showed 70 per cent of 2,747 voters did not like the new name Atria Watford.

Speaking on why he launched the petition, Mr Ryan said: “I just felt angry that clearly these people don’t understand our town at all. I assumed they’d listen to their customers.

“Obviously the centre has been known as intu since 2013, but for a long time since 1990, it was the Harlequin Centre.”

Mr Ryan is fearful for the retail industry after it was heavily affected in the last year by the pandemic, and believes that it is vital the community is encouraged by Atria’s new management.

“What we really need in Watford is a sensitive stability. Because when the shopping centre reopens it’s going to be missing John Lewis, Debenhams, Topshop – a lot of shops will be shut,” he said.

“So to give it a new name in such a perilous time for retail - really we need to be anchored in the proud history of Watford.”

The petitioner explained that a return to the Harlequin name would have boosted public confidence in the centre, and more people would be likely to return to it and support the centre once it reopens.

He continued: “There’s a real risk that the shopping centre won’t recover, and if people are upset about the name – it may sound silly – but a brand is really important and it could really spell disaster if people don’t return or want to return to Atria Watford.”

At the moment, there has been no indication that Atria Watford may change names again.

To support the petition in renaming Atria Watford to the Harlequin, visit: tiny.cc/harlequinpetition