“Hello. It’s me ... Paula from Ireland”.
Adele got more than she bargained for on Friday when she invited a fan onto the stage at the Munich Messe venue, where she is performing a summer residency.
The 36-year-old singer expected an admirer, but instead she got Paula, a mega fan from Ireland. Dressed in a white sequinned outfit, the grinning Irish woman hugged and kissed her idol and appeared not to want to let go. A hug-lift attempt failed.
“You are definitely the craziest fan I’ve ever had on stage,” said the singer. “What’s your name? You’re British, I can tell.”
Bouncing up and down with joy, Paula said: “You know I’m Irish ... I’m here with my husband Frank.”
Adele replied quickly: “Frank from Ireland, I’ve got your crazy wife Paula up here with me.”
Paula’s elated face, projected onto a screen 220m long and 30m high, was a real giveaway.
After a bit of business with sunglasses (they were too small for Adele’s head), Paula attached herself to the singer again and appeared determined to make the moment last.
Adele posed with Paula for a photo, handed her a bag of merch and then sent her on her way.
A moment later, steadying herself after the Paula-nado, Adele asked the audience: “Do I now have Paula’s red lipstick on my cheek?”
Yes, the 80,000 capacity crowd replied. Cue Adele’s stylist on stage to remove the lingering traces of the Irishwoman.
“I don’t like red lipstick,” confessed the singer.
Then the show went on. And Paula: you made it into Germany’s Bild tabloid.
“The audience was thrilled,” wrote concert reporter Bettina von Schimmelmann. “Adele, on the other hand, was a little nervous.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
