Prince William has recalled the moment Taylor Swift convinced him to get on stage to sing with Bon Jovi.
Speaking about the “off the cuff” moment on a special Christmas episode of Apple Fitness+’s Time to Walk series, which premieres on December 6, the Duke of Cambridge admitted he still “cringes” when he thinks about it.
The father-of-two said: “So, around about – it must be nearly 10 years ago now – I can’t believe I’m actually telling this story. I went to a charity fundraising gala for Centrepoint, which is a young homeless charity that I am very fond of and have supported for many years. It’s an annual fundraiser, and I turn up, and Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift are at the event, which nearly knocked me off my feet, as well.”
“When I sat down to watch Jon Bon Jovi do his performance, I thought, ‘That’s it. My job is done. I’ll get a dinner in a minute, and I might be able to have a chat to some people, and, you know, I’m off-duty a little bit now.’ Little did I think what was going to happen next.”
“I’m sat next to Taylor Swift. She’s on my left. And after Jon does his first song, there’s a pause, and she turns to me. She puts her hand on my arm, looks me in the eye, and says, ‘Come on, William. Let’s go and sing.’
The 39-year-old continued: “To this day, I still do not know what came over me. Honestly, even now I’m cringing at what happened next, and I don’t understand why I gave in. But, frankly, if Taylor Swift looks you in the eye, touches your arm, and says, ‘Come with me…’ I got up like a puppy and went, ‘Yeah, okay, that seems like a great idea. I’ll follow you.'”
“I walked up on stage in a trance, and then sort of halfway through Jon Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On a Prayer song, I wake up. And I’m thinking to myself, ‘Am I standing on the stage singing Livin’ On a Prayer when I don’t even know the words?’ And so I desperately try and remember some of the words and sing as hard as I can,” he recalled.
“Beneath my black tie, there was a lot of sweating going on. I felt like a swan, where I was trying to keep myself composed on the outside, but inside, the little legs are paddling fast.”
The Gosscast is back with a brand new episode, sponsored by Irish-owned CBD company Greenheart CBD.
Hosted by Goss.ie Founder Alexandra Ryan and Goss.ie Editor Kendra Becker, the girls discuss how 2021 has become the year of redemption for some of our favourite noughties icons.
They also chat about the Bennifer reunion, Avril Lavigne’s comeback, and what fashion pieces they’re seeing back in style.
Watch the full episode below, or else listen on Spotify or iTunes.Â
