Meat Loaf, the actor and singer behind hits like “I’d Do Anything for Love,” has died at the age of 74.
His death was announced in a post shared on his official Facebook page, which stated that “the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight” (January 20).
As people pay tribute to the late star on social media, fans are reminiscing about Meat Loaf, including how he got his iconic stage name and his often unnoticed appearances in movies like Fight Club.
One of these stories is one about his role in an unexpected part of British history: It’s a Royal Knockout.
The charity television event, which took place on the Alton Towers lawn, was the brainchild of Prince Edward and took place on June 15, 1987. It aired on BBC One.
The game show featured four celebrity teams, each with a member of the British royal family as their captain.
Prince Edward, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Sarah Ferguson were the captains. The Queen reportedly disapproved of the show.
Celebrities who participated included John Cleese, Christopher Reeve, Debbie Flintoff, Cliff Richard, Sheena Easton, Gary Lineker, and John Travolta. Meat Loaf played for the Ferguson team.
Meat Loaf spoke about his time on the show in a 2003 interview with The Guardian, saying the show was “so much fun”, although he added that “the Queen hates me”. However, the singer said that he caught the eye of a member of the royal family.
“It was great fun. I had a great time,” he said. “Fergie wasn’t exactly flirting with me, but she was paying attention to me, and I think Andrew got a little ‒ I could be wrong, I’m just reading into this ‒ I think he got a little jealous.”
He continued: “Anyway, he tried to push me in the water. He tried to push me in the moat. So I turned around and I grabbed him and he goes, ‘You can’t touch me. I’m royal.’ I said, ‘Well, you try to push me in the moat, Jack, I don’t give a shit who you are, you’re goin’ in the moat.’”
After the death of Meat Loaf, other anecdotes have resurfaced around the singer.
Keep going for the video below: