In a delightful trip down memory lane, Republica frontwoman Saffron joined The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X this morning to share some incredible anecdotes from her pre-fame days. The '90s Britpop icon revealed a surprising connection to fellow pop star Chesney Hawkes, recounting her time as an extra in the iconic music video for his 1991 chart-topper, "The One and Only."
The revelation came about when host Chris Moyles brought up a recent London gig where Hawkes brought out special guests, including songwriter Nik Kershaw and Saffron herself. When Moyles quizzed the studio about the hidden connection, Saffron jumped in to explain her history with the track. "I was in Chesney Hawkes’s ‘The One and Only’ video, the music video, the original video," she explained. "I was his love interest in the cinema with my friend Lucy Alexander from home, Homes Under The Hammer!"
As it turns out, before dominating the charts with Republica, a teenage Saffron was working as a jobbing performer alongside Alexander. The duo auditioned for a project featuring a promising new artist. Because the track was heavily featured in the film Buddy’s Song, legendary rock frontman Roger Daltrey of The Who was also on set for the video shoot.
The experience left Saffron with a core memory involving rock royalty. "They said, 'Roger Daltrey is going to be in it, from The Who.' And I went along, and me and Lucy got in and we met Chesney. Lovely. Brilliant song, amazing pop hit," Saffron recalled. However, her duties on set were far from glamorous. "And, yeah, I had to throw cardboard boxes over Roger Daltrey’s head! And even at that age I was thinking, ‘Well, I hope someone’s insured me!’”
Beyond her music video past, Saffron also shared her current backstage rituals with Moyles, noting that she still prepares for high-energy sets by blasting Earth, Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland" to get into the zone.
