Watch Judi Dench sing ABBA’s ‘Waterloo’ with Texas’s Sharleen Spiteri in hotel lobby

3 January, 2023

Judi Dench

Dame Judi Dench and Texas‘s Sharleen Spiteri gave hotel guests in Scotland a surprise rendition of ABBA‘s ‘Waterloo’ to mark New Year’s Eve.

While celebrating hogmanay at the Fife Arms in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, the pair gave an impromptu rendition of the hit at the hotel lobby’s piano.

Sharing a piano stool, Spiteri took on lead vocals, with Dench on piano. During the performance, Spiteri exclaimed of her partner: “What a pianist!”

The video was filmed by hotel owner Ewan Venters, who told BBC Scotland: “Judi Dench and Sharleen Spiteri were staying at the hotel and we had an impromptu moment at the piano.

“It was a happy evening with lots of guests and locals clapping.”

He added to PA that the pair “had met previously but after dinner they met in the lobby and took to the piano. Guests were somewhat shocked but loved it!

“Two legends – a Scottish musician, Sharleen Spiteri – and Dame Judi who, although born in the city of York, is an honorary Scot, for not least playing Queen Victoria on so many occasions. Mrs Brown was back on Royal Deeside!”

See the performance below.

In less hospitable behaviour, Judi Dench recently recalled an incident in which she shouted “wanker” at a total stranger.

Dench said she thought it would be “funny” to shout at a person she believed to be her friend Alistair McGowan while driving down a road, without realising it wasn’t him.

“I was driving along and saw who I thought was Alistair McGowan and I shouted ‘wanker’… and it was a total stranger,” the actor said.

While reflecting on her loved ones in another recent interview, Judi Dench said she has planted “memorial trees” in her private forest, to honour her friends including Alan Rickman and Helen McCrory.

Speaking about why she started planting trees in remembrance, Dench said: “Well, I love them. I love trees and I just thought what a nice thing that would be to do.”

The post Watch Judi Dench sing ABBA’s ‘Waterloo’ with Texas’s Sharleen Spiteri in hotel lobby appeared first on NME.