The BRIT Awards 2020 with Mastercard - Show Programme

The BRIT Awards 2019
“My schedule is quite intense,” he
admits, “but that’s the way I like to do
it, zipping about from city to city”.
“The last couple of years, I’d
not done stand-up in ages, so
I definitely felt a bit rusty.
“The first time around, I did a few gigs
beforehand, just to remind myself
what it was like up on stage!”
mean, 28 weeks with a big No.1 album,
you might need your own moment?
“Well, I will be trying to crowbar any kind
of performance I can into the show. It’s
a big part of it, for me, to try to see what
showmanship we can wedge in there.”
“I just need to get those elbows
a bit sharper so I can put myself
front and centre of whatever
performance opens the show.”
(Looks like at The BRITs 2020,
Lewis Capaldi, it’s your turn
to get the drinks in).
The BRITs is delighted that Jack
Whitehall accepted the invitation to
present his third BRITs celebration.
He’s been a busy lad, filming dogtastic
kids movie Clifford alongside John
Cleese: “He’s eighty this year!
One of my comedy heroes…”
JM Enternational
That’s not a problem likely to
affect 2020 proceedings.
“Oh no, I’m loving the tour…
and The BRITs is the perfect
way to round it all off!”
So what can we expect from The BRITs’
greatest showman on stage in 2020?
Certainly more spangly outfits (“I had
fittings for this back in December!”)
and yeah – as soon as the spotlight
is on, he’ll tap-dance his way onto
stage centre, jazz hands a go-go.
At one point, it looked like he might
wrestle the mic from Hugh Jackman
during last year’s big opening number.
Jack harrumphs loudly. “Well.
Yeah. I thought I might be singing
alongside him. But it became very
clear, very quickly that was not going
to be the case on this show. I got
demoted to backing dancer.”
Big fella, some people are not keen
you share the spotlight, you know? I
Luckily Jack – who previously revealed
that Elton John, Stormzy and 5ive
were among his all-time favourite
performers, reckons we’ve had a
great year for exciting new music.
In fact, “So many great artists had
big albums out in the last 12 months
we’re almost kinda oversubscribed
in terms of working out who
will do the performances”.
He doesn’t want to pick favourites,
oh no, but when pushed he admits,
“I love Billie Eilish. And Sam Fender,
the lad who won Critics’ Choice
last year, is a lovely kid. His album
was great so it would be good
if he got some recognition”.
Who else?
He ponders. “Well Lizzo, of course, who
I met on a chatshow. She was amazing!”
“And Lewis Capaldi. I love him. I met him
at the after party after Glastonbury. He’d
just been on the main stage. Came off,
bought a massive round for everybody…
“And then his card got declined and my
sister’s fiancé bought the round for him!”
He’s also completed filming on
Hollywood flicks Silent Retreat,
alongside Isabella Rossellini, and Jungle
Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson -
“although I don’t want to tempt fate, you
never know what might happen (sighs)”.
“I know I’m in The BRITs, they
can’t cut me from that!”
Jack will be mindful that while here
at The BRITs, we can have fun – but
some parts of the world face times of
remarkable challenge. It’s been a helluva
year and we’re only seven weeks in.
We come together to celebrate
musical achievements - while
remembering The BRITs is, first and
foremost, a fundraising event.
Revenue from tonight’s show
goes to good causes - and our
donations are very much needed.
So the show must go on. Nothing
will stop Jack being part of
proceedings. Well, probably. “Who
knows though – maybe I’ll have to
stay in Australia and Skype it in!”
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