Adele Moved to Tears; Reveals How a Former Teacher Changed Her Life

Adele shocked the world when she announced her fourth studio album, 30. The record’s subsequent November 19 release quickly catapulted Adele’s fanfare to astronomical levels. Giving even more to her fans, the singer/songwriter from London interviewed with Oprah, which was soon followed by a pre-recorded concert special titled An Audience with Adele. The live show featured performances from 30, and the ITV event also included a surprise for the esteemed artist.

The audience attending An Audience with Adele was star-studded in itself—including Samuel L. Jackson, Naomi Campbell, Jodie Comer, Emma Watson, Alan Carr, Stormzy, Dua Lipa, and Idris Elba. Actress Dame Emma Thompson was also in attendance, and she stood up to ask Adele a question from the crowd.

“My question is,” Thompson began, “when you were younger, was there someone who kind of supported you and inspired you or sort of, you know, protected you from all the trials and tribulations of life? And inspired you to sort of go on?”

“I had a teacher at [south London high school] Chestnut Grove, who taught me English. That was Ms. McDonald,” Adele explained. “She left in year eight but she got me really into literature, I’ve always been obsessed with English and obviously now I write lyrics. But she also did street dance, I was too scared to go in, but like in the canteen they used to do these dances and stuff like that.

“She was so bloody cool, so engaging, and she really made us care, and we knew that she cared about us and stuff like that. She used to have all these gold bracelets and gold rings. She was bloody cool and so relatable and likable, that I really looked forward to my English lessons,” Adele stated.

Then, as if Adele spoke her into existence, her former English teacher was announced and brought to the stage.

Adele was stunned and moved to tears at the surprise appearance, and embraced McDonald. “I’m so proud of you,” McDonald told Adele. “You really did change my life,” Adele responded.

Read Adele’s post-show tweet about the An Audience With Adele show, below.

“Home Sweet Home. I’ve always dreamt of doing An Audience With… There was so much love in the room for each other, it felt like such a gig,” she wrote on Twitter. “Everyone was raucous and bang up for it! And my teacher Ms. McDonald was there, it was just heaven.”

Photo courtesy of Apple Music.