Jackie Weaver was responsible for one of the most memorable moments from this year’s Brit Awards, but it turns out she might have been the event’s biggest diva, too.
The Handforth Parish Council clerk has revealed she turned down the offer to travel to London to record her sketch with Line Of Duty stars Martin Compston and Vicky McClure as she was simply “too busy”, darling.
The skit, which opened Tuesday night’s event, saw Martin and Vicky’s AC-12 characters DI Arnott and DI Fleming bring Jackie “The Cleaver” Weaver onto a Zoom interrogation with Brits host Jack Whitehall.
However, organisers originally had a different idea about how the sketch would play out, and tried to persuade Jackie to record something in person, but she had to turn them down.
Jackie made the revelation during an interview with Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4′s Woman’s Hour on Wednesday, saying: “They did, in fact, invite me down to London – and I know this sounds... I don’t know how it sounds – but I genuinely hadn’t got time to go.
“So they emailed me back and said, ‘Is there something we can do to tempt you?’ and I said, ’I’m really sorry but there isn’t.’”
Revealing Brits organisers found a way to make it work, Jackie continued: “Blimey, they sent a lovely young man with enough equipment to launch a satellite probably, up to record it via Zoom. It was amazing.”
Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Greg James couldn’t get over the revelation as he discussed it on his show, pointing out: “Taylor Swift said yes, Harry Styles said yes, Haim flew over from LA in a pandemic, Elton John was there, but Jackie Weaver? ‘I’m busy’.”
Incredible.
Jackie became an internet sensation last year after the events of the infamous Handforth Parish Council meeting went viral.
She went on to make a number of high-profile TV and radio appearances, including The Last Leg and Loose Women.
Woman’s Hour airs weekdays at 10am and Saturdays at 4pm on BBC Radio 4.
