Back in 2011, who still remembers a surprising moment on Comic Relief? It introduced a skit that would evolve into one of the most iconic TV segments of recent times: Carpool Karaoke
James Corden, rising to fame from his role in “Gavin & Stacey,” brought his character Smithy to life again for this special occasion. The skit began with Smithy getting a call from Lenny Henry, whom he recognized only after being told he’s the “bloke off the Premier Inn adverts.”
Smithy agreed to help out at the BBC Studios for the charity event and unwittingly set the stage for what would become a cultural phenomenon.
In a surprising twist, the camera captures George Michael riding shotgun with Smithy. The shock is so real! The two had a tiff when Smithy insisted George could not join him at the BBC.
George called Smithy and co-character Gavin “closet bu*mers,” while Smithy fired back, “You’re a joke, George! It’s embarrassing. I can’t walk into Comic Relief with you! Comic Relief’s about helping people LIKE you!”
Hilariously, 48-year-old George reacted with childish sulking. The mood shifted when Smithy cranked up Wham!’s “I’m Your Man” on the car stereo, sparking a spontaneous car-singing session. Little did they know, their impromptu duet would later inspire the global phenomenon known as “Carpool Karaoke.”
Watch the Impromptu moment in the video below, which has garnered 17.4 million views:
Interestingly, the video was re-watched each year and got plenty of positive comments.
A Youtube viewer wrote, “I never saw this before. What a gem! He had a great sense of humour and satire. Major fan as a teenager in high school when they came out. My only regret is that I never saw him in concert. What a great privilege for anyone who knew him, those lucky bastards. Much love forever, George. Your genius music will live on.”