Carpool Karaoke has become a global hit for James Corden and his Late Late Show in America.
But the idea originated from a sketch Corden did for BBC’s Comic Relief way back in 2011. In the sketch, Corden is in character as Smithy from Gavin & Stacy when he gets a call from Comic Relief founder Lenny Henry.
Henry asks Smithy to come in and help out with the charity show, but Smithy is “spending the day with a mate, he’s been away for a while.” That mate turns out to be none other than the late great George Michael.
Check out the video below.
The clip shows that Michael wasn’t just a hugely talented singer and songwriter – he was also very funny and a good sport.
In the sketch Michael asks Smithy if he can come to Comic Relief, and when Smithy turns him down, he accuses Smithy of not wanting to be seen with a gay man.
“I’ve seen you, the way you look at that mate of yours,” Michael hilariously retorts. “What do you call him, ‘Gavlar’? Such a pair of closet bummers.”
Smithy then says the real reason that Michael can’t come to Comic Relief is that he’s a joke: “I can’t walk into Comic Relief with you. Comic Relief’s about helping people like you.”
As we mourn the passing of another star, it’s clips like this that ensure that George Michael will be remembered as a funny man with a generous spirit, as well as an immense talent for music.
