Fleur East on the Big Jubilee Street Party: ‘Mark Owen borrowed my dressing room to get into his trousers!’

Fleur East: "Really exciting! It was amazing to be in the AO Arena in Manchester and see everyone enjoying and celebrating the Queen’s 70 year reign. I still can’t get over it. It was really cool."

FE: "I didn’t know what to expect! You think, a street party in an arena, how are you going to do this? On the arena floor they had picnic benches with tablecloths and grass astroturf laid out so it looked like we were in a park. They also had a road right down the centre leading up to the stage. There was even a zebra crossing! And there was bunting everywhere. They probably took the whole bunting supply from Manchester to fill the arena!"

FE: "Becky Hill opens the show and her entrance is epic. She arrives in a Union Jack Mini with a parade of dancers! There are amazing performances throughout - we’ve got poetry, a signing performance group on stage with Heather Small, The House Gospel Choir, and Lady Blackbird, who performs a cover of David Bowie’s Life on Mars. It’s honestly an incredible show."

FE: "The highlight for me - and it’s a running joke throughout the show - was my excitement at seeing Steps closing! My love of them goes back to my ‘90s school disco times when I’d be on the floor doing "Tragedy"! As soon as they started, all the moves came back to me! They did all their biggest hits and their outfits are amazing — the perfect act to close the show."

FE: "Mark Owen! He has an amazing suit that he performs in. Funny little backstage story… he had to borrow my dressing room to get into his trousers halfway through the event! It was so surreal for me. I was the biggest Take That fan growing up, so that was the cherry on the cake for me!"

FE: [Laughing] "We didn’t, but we were singing the national anthem in the background, screaming it out actually, and afterwards looked at each other and said, ‘We’re wasted here tonight, we should be up there!’ 

"I love presenting, but as a performer when you hear the roar of the crowd you can't help but want to get out there. It was nice being with a seasoned presenter like Jason. He’s hilarious, I was laughing the whole night."

FE: "There's so much for everyone. You’ve got the live performances but you also get to see archive footage of the Queen, when her children were really young, and her as a fashion icon. We also meet people who have met her - one person I spoke to worked for the NHS and has met the Queen four times! I also spoke to a couple who had the Queen gatecrash their wedding!"

FE: "I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to tell you, but we had a special visit from a Chief Scout, who enters the arena in an epic way! We spoke to veterans about their service and people from the community, because that’s what we’re celebrating - all the charities, communities and people that the National Lottery have funded. 

"It’s very emotional talking to people about everything they’ve done. There are different awards, such as special community awards and Scouts awards. The majority of them were surprises. They’d come to watch the show and Jason would pop up and interview them!"

FE: "It's very touching having communities coming together to celebrate the Queen, but to celebrate each other as well. Hearing everybody praise the Queen and say how she’s given so much hope and stability to people, it’s really emotional."

FE: "No, but I have met Prince Charles! That was exciting. It was at The Prince’s Trust in London in 2020, just before the pandemic hit - you couldn't shake hands so everyone was bowing. But the Queen - what an honour that would be. I was hoping she was going to show up at the arena. Hopefully one day we’ll cross paths."

FE: "I’d have to choose the national anthem and do it in my own way. I’ve performed it at the Army Vs Navy Game at Twickenham Stadium. That was terrifying! Yet I'd love to do that for the Queen. Though, I don’t know how it would go down. My chance of an OBE or MBE might be out the window. Or not — you never know!"

FE: "My family and I are huge fans of the royal family. We pause everything for the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day. It's a privilege to be able to say I’m part of one of the many events marking her 70 year reign."