Rod Stewart has revealed the BBC “made” him perform Neil Diamond’s hit track Sweet Caroline to finish off his musical set for the Platinum Party at the Jubilee.
The high-profile gig took place at Buckingham Palace in London on Saturday (June 4) as some of the biggest names in the business took to the 360-degree stage to perform for millions of fans in celebration of Her Majesty’s 70th year on the throne.
And it’s fair to say fans were overjoyed when they saw the 77-year-old rock legend belt out some of his biggest hits over the years in front of several senior members of the royal family.
But many audience members notice the rocker sounded a little off-key when he performed the UK anthem Sweet Caroline in front of the crowd of 22,000 people.
During his performance, the father-of-eight confessed he felt a little uncomfortable singing the beloved single as he admitted during the number: “The BBC made me sing this one.”
Luckily, the crowd were more than willing to help the star out when he asked the crown – including Prince William and Kate – to “join in, make it comfortable for me” before he launched into the catchy chorus.
Many fans were left confused why the track made Rod feeling a little out of sorts on stage, but avid football fans will know the catchy number is closely linked with Rangers FC which are arch rivals of the star’s beloved Celtic’s football team.
As he belted out the uniting song to the best of his ability, viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the “cringeworthy” performance.
One user penned: “Rod Stewart cringeworthy #platinumpartyatthepalace,” as a second agreed: “God’s sake, someone please make Rod Stewart stop!!!! #PlatinumPartyatthePalace.”
A third advised: “Time to hand up the microphone Rod #PlatinumPartyatthePalace” whilst others were more positive about his performance, as a fourth chimed in with: “Well done Rod Stewart. Feel good sing-a-long! #SweetCaroline #PlatinumPartyatthePalace.”
Despite insisting he was “made” to perform the 1970s hit song, the star couldn’t help but jump at the chance to perform for Her Royal Highness.
Rod opened up about his love for the Queen during an interview with BBC Breakfast’s Naga Munchetty ahead of the event.
He recalled: “I’ve grown up with this woman. I was seven when she came to the throne, so she’s always been part of my life, and the fact that I’ve met her on seven occasions makes it even more important to me.”
Like what you see? Then fill your boots…
There's MUCH more where that came from! Want all the jaw-dropping stories from the world of showbiz and up to the minute news from TV and soaps?
Well, we've got you covered with our showbiz, TV and soaps newsletters – they'll drop straight into your inbox and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.
We'll bring you the inside track from telly expert Ed Gleave and soap specialist Sasha Morris. Oh, and your daily fix of Piers, Katie Price, Demi Rose and all your other Daily Star favs.
You can sign up here – you won't regret it…
The broadcaster pressed him further as she asked: “What does she mean to you? You’ve met her on a few occasions, that must have been amazing.”
As he choked back his tears, he explained: “She’s been so much part of my life, she’s almost like a sister. She’s always been in the background of my life.”
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Read Full Article
