Having become famous for his humour, Anthony Kavanagh was one of the first hosts of the NRJ Music AwardsThe actor and comedian, who took over from Ophélie Winter at the head of the very first edition, hosted this major song event from 2001 to 2006.
Interviewed by our colleagues from Paris Match This Monday, July 1, 2024, he then looked back on his beautiful years at the helm of the ceremony. The opportunity for him to share one of his most memorable memories: his meeting with the Black Eyed Peas.
Trouble with the Black Eyed Peas
« There’s a year when the Black Eyed Peas are invited, I have long hair“, he recalled before continuing his story: ” They come and in the afternoon, at rehearsal, there is a quarrel between them and the productionIn the evening, they put on a show, they are extraordinary and we don’t talk about it anymore.« .
It was only the following year that things turned sour when members of the cult group failed to recognise him. The next year, I cut my hair, the Black Eyed Peas come back, they do a crazy performance, people are happy. We meet at the after show and they’ve already started the party way before me and then he says to me: ‘I love you man, you’re much better than that other asshole from last year. It was crap, you’re funny, you’re talented, you presented us well, he disrespected us.«
” I didn’t understand “
While Anthony Kavanagh laughs about the situation now, at the time he was deeply embarrassed. They were all there except Will so it wasn’t Will.i.am who told me that, it was the rest of the group with Fergie” he said.
Although this episode is now behind him, the comedian still does not understand why the artists targeted him in this way.
« They’re really fucked up at that point, I have short hair and they don’t recognize me. I’m the same guy as last year, I have the same name. I didn’t understand. I didn’t disrespect at all.I arrived at the rehearsal, I said hello to them. I did the same thing as the previous year. I think they projected the trouble that there was onto me. They were shitting on the host” he concluded. Quite an anecdote!
