Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean recently shared a memorable anecdote: she received a call from Sir Elton John while cooking sausages and beans during a camping trip in Wales. The music icon expressed his pride in her burgeoning career.
Dean, known for her hit “The Man I Need” and currently enjoying a wave of award nominations, was vacationing in Pembrokeshire when her team alerted her to the potential call from the legendary British musician.
Despite initially declining the unexpected video call, Dean received a second chance to connect with Sir Elton, who conveyed his admiration, saying, “I’m really proud of you.”
The 26-year-old’s critically acclaimed album, “The Art of Loving,” propelled her to wider recognition last year. Sir Elton reportedly told her he believed she was “ready now” for further success.
Dean recounted the “starry feedback” during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show last week.
“I was on a camping trip in Wales, in Pembrokeshire, and I was cooking sausage and beans on a little gas stove,” she explained.
“Someone from my team said ‘you might get a phone call from Elton John today’ and I said ‘oh gosh’.”
Dean almost missed the opportunity, initially declining the call in a moment of panic.
“It rang and it was a FaceTime and I said ‘no – I’m not ready’,” she confessed, prompting laughter from fellow guests Idris Elba, Martin Freeman, Erin Doherty, and Wunmi Mosaku.
“Then I was like, ‘oh no, I should have picked up… I’ve missed it’.”
Fortunately, Sir Elton called back and shared his encouraging words: “I’m really proud of you, and it looks like you’ve worked really hard and you’re ready now.”
She added: “I just said thank you, and then I collapsed on the floor [like a] starfish.”
The London-born artist recently led the Mobo award nominations, earning nods for Album of the Year, Best Female, Best Soul Act, and Song of the Year.
This recognition follows a successful year for Dean, who has also received nominations for a Grammy Award and five Brit Awards.
Her breakout single, “Man I Need,” dominated the UK singles chart for 10 weeks and was crowned Radio 1’s biggest song of the year for 2025.
According to the Official Charts Company, Dean also achieved a significant milestone: she was the first British solo female artist to simultaneously top both the singles and album charts since Adele in 2021.
Norton remarked that Sir Elton “loves the phone,” while Golden Globe-winning Adolescence actor Erin Doherty playfully responded, “I wouldn’t have picked up.”
Dean noted that the British icon “has everybody’s number.”
“Not mine,” quipped actress Wunmi Mosaku, who has received an Oscar supporting actress nomination for her role in the 2025 horror film “Sinners.”
Dean is not the first artist to share stories of receiving supportive calls from Sir Elton.
The “Your Song” singer reportedly called Squeeze guitarist Chris Difford daily during his struggles with depression and addiction. Ed Sheeran has also spoken about Sir Elton’s regular check-ins during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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