Viral sea shanty sensation Nathan Evans says Little Mix “were down” for his joke about their pregnancies at the Brit Awards.
The 26-year-old former postman, from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, delivered a rendition of his number one track Wellerman during Tuesday night’s ceremony at London’s O2 Arena, which did not feature social distancing or mandatory masks.
With the help of host Jack Whitehall, Evans changed the lyrics to poke fun at the X Factor-formed girl group and fellow pop star Olly Murs, all of who were sitting at nearby VIP tables.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Evans said he had checked with the trio before the ceremony.
He said: “Jack knows them, I am pretty sure, and obviously we ran it by them and they were down for it. I think everybody thought it went the way it expected it go, just nicely hearted.”
During his performance, Evans sang: “Soon may the Little Mix come, babies popping out one by one,” referring to Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Perrie Edwards who both announced pregnancies this month.
Turning to third member Jade Thirlwall, he added: “They still look like they are having fun, Jade’s drinking for all three.”
Evans quit his job as a postman earlier this year after helping to kickstart a viral craze of sea shanties on TikTok and signing a record deal with Polydor Records.
He said the return of live music to the Brits, which took place as part of the Government’s live events pilot scheme, was “amazing”.
He added: “It’s like normality is slowly coming back. It is fantastic.
“I kicked off in the middle of a lockdown where everybody has been stuck at home, so to actually be able to play to a live audience was amazing.
“But also the fact that it was 2,000 key workers, the fact it was all key workers was a massive bonus because they all deserve it.”
Before the ceremony, Evans played his first live performance of Wellerman from a boat by Canary Wharf on the River Thames.
He said: “That was technically my first gig of the year so it was fantastic and what a way to start a year of gigs.
“It is very unique and it sums up my year really. My full year has been unique for me and for a lot of other people as well. It was an amazing experience.”
GoBoat Canary Wharf will open on May 17.