THE stars are gearing up for the 40th edition of The Brit Awards, and despite many legends gracing the stage, it is a ceremony oft remembered for its embarrassing moments more than the awards itself.
1989?
Absolutely. Those old enough to recall the excruciating 1989 ceremony will remember it was hosted by Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood, who kept announcing acts who did not appear, with awkward silences aplenty. Fox said in a 2010 interview that she and Fleetwood were given "the wrong cards to announce the acts, the Autocue was broken" and an elderly lady who was supposed to be giving them their prompts couldn't even hear. "When everything started going wrong, I just wanted the floor to swallow me up," she said.
Cocker v Jackson?
As Michael Jackson sang his Earth Song at the 1996 Brits, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker crashed the stage to cause some friction, saying in a statement later that his "actions were a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing”.
Spicing it up?
Geri 'Ginger' Halliwell sported a Union Jack dress for the Spice Girls' performance at the 1997 Brits, in an era that was toward the end of the Cool Britannia era and seemed to strike an iconic note. She had been intending to wear a plain black Gucci dress but thought it would be boring, so got her sister to sew a Union Jack tea-towel over the top.
Chumbawamba?
The British rock band - who had a hit with their track Tubthumping - made headlines when their drummer, Danbert Nobacon, threw a bucket of ice cold water over the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the ceremony in 1998. Lucky for them Prescott didn't thump him in return. Prescott said the act was "utterly contemptible".
Blockheads?
Ronnie Wood may be a Rolling Stone, but he is also remembered for a bizarre scene on stage at the 2000 Brits when a DJ, Brandon Block, appeared on stage to take the "Best Soundtrack" award, despite not being the winner. After a remark from Wood, Block returned for a squabble and Wood threw a glass of water over him. Rock 'n' roll.
Madonna?
The pop icon tumbled down a flight of stairs in 2015 at the O2 Arena in London as she sang her song, Living For Love. She's a trooper, though, and got back up and carried on singing, later saying the cape she was wearing had been "tied too tight" and when a dancer tried to remove it, he pulled her down the steps.
Oasis?
They could take a few mentions in Brits history, but a standout would be a cutting remark by Noel Gallagher, that according to friends of the late Michael Hutchence, left a mark on the INXS frontman. Having been presented with the "Best Video" award by Hutchence, Gallagher said: "Has-beens shouldn't present awards to gonna-bes." In the documentary on Hutchence's life, Mystify, he was said to have been "totally devastated" by the remark.
What now?
The 40th edition of the annual pop awards takes place at The 02 tomorrow night and will be broadcast live on ITV. Who knows what it has in store?
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