Stars in Their Eyes -Phoenix Nights
A fan of Phoenix Nights once asked me why I had chosen to do Britney Spears in the Stars in Their Eyes Night episode. The truth is that I didn’t. When the filming of that episode was coming up, I was asked to make a list of the singers that I could do. I had been a singing impressionist in the clubs so, I gave them a list including names like David Essex and Mick Hucknall, all male singers. I remember a few days before we were to film it, I asked who I was going to be.
“Don’t worry we’ve chosen one for you,” was the response I got.
I arrived on the day and saw the costume hanging up in the dressing room. A shirt and tie … so far so good …. a wig …… mmm…. short skirt! What the f….
I went to the costume trailer “What’s that costume ……?” Before I could finish the lady on costume said “Britney Spears” she checked her list, “Yep Britney Spears. Hit Me Baby One More Time, that’s what she wore.” I wasn’t questioning the authenticity of the costume; it was just that nobody had told me!
I got changed into the costume and went to make up: I didn’t see a camera let alone perform in front of one. To this day I’m sure they never had any intention of filming me that day but just wanted to see me walking around like that for the whole day!
Phoenix Nights Live
The next time I got to wear the Britney outfit …. Ooh I did miss it …. was at the Phoenix Nights Live Show at Manchester Arena. I had to make my way underneath the stage to a platform which would raise me up onto the stage for my ‘big entrance’. On the way up, my head hit a nail hanging down from the underneath of the stage ( all glamorous stuff!) I felt a little sting and I thought nothing more of it. When I came off stage I went to make-up and they saw blood coming from my head.
Because of this incident I had to be escorted to my platform each night thereafter. Now I had always been pretty tough, I don’t mean in a fighting sense, but when I played football, I could give as good as I got when it came to tackling. For example, in 1994 I fractured my skull playing football and tried to carry on playing for a few minutes then drove home where I was whisked off to hospital. But as a girl, named Britney, I had become so delicate! I did hear a rumour that the Britney Spears outfit went missing after the final show.