In a 2021 ITV concert special segment 'An Audience With Adele' the 'Hello' singer was caught off guard when her English teacher showed up.
Teachers play a crucial role in shaping students' futures. Many people are fortunate to have mentors in their teachers, who illuminate their paths throughout life. Often, teachers inspire students simply with their kindness, making each student feel seen and heard. This was true for British singer-songwriter Adele, who was inspired by her English teacher. In an ITV concert special show named, "An Audience With Adele" in November 2021, Adele expressed her love for her teacher Ms. McDonald and was taken by surprise when the teacher showed up.
With several A-list celebrities gracing the audience at the London Palladium, the "Easy On Me" singer performed songs from her new album "30." Also, the show had a segment where the singer took questions from her celebrity fans. One among those fans was actress Emma Thompson who asked the "Someone Like You" singer about a person who was her inspiration and support when she was young. That is when Adele spoke about her favorite teacher from Chestnut Grove Academy in Balham who taught English. "She left in year eight but she got me really into literature, I’ve always been obsessed with English and now I write lyrics," the singer said about Ms. McDonald and added, "She was so bloody cool, so engaging, and she made us care, and we knew that she cared about us and stuff like that."
Praising her favorite teacher, Adele shared that Ms. McDonald was "so relatable and likable," making her eagerly anticipate each English lesson. As Adele was talking about her inspiration, Thompson invited Ms. McDonald, who was in the audience, on stage. Upon seeing her teacher, Adele immediately broke into tears. Ms. McDonald joined Adele on stage, where they shared an emotional embrace. "I'm so proud of you," said the teacher. When Adele pointed out that she had no idea about the teacher's presence, Ms. McDonald joked, "That's ok. It was supposed to be a surprise."
Home Sweet Home. I’ve always dreamt of doing An Audience With… There was so much love in the room for eachother, it felt like such a gig! Everyone was raucous and bang up for it! And my teacher Ms McDonald was there, it was just heaven ♥️ pic.twitter.com/N1LpkQbeoh
— Adele (@Adele) November 21, 2021
Though the singer was emotional about reuniting with her teacher, she didn't forget to ask about Ms. McDonald's life. Ms. McDonald wasn't a teacher anymore and said that she was "looking after her family," and "just dancing." When the teacher thanked Adele for remembering her, the singer said, "You did change my life." Having not seen her teacher since she was 12, Adele showered her love and respect for Ms. McDonald's. Before getting her make-up fixed from all the crying, Adele made sure to get her teacher's contact so she could stay in touch. Following this heartwarming reunion, the "Hello" singer wrote on Twitter, "There was so much love in the room for each other, it felt like such a gig! Everyone was raucous and bang up for it! And my teacher Ms. McDonald was there, it was just heaven."
What a beautiful surprise between #Adele and her English school teacher during her @ITV special, #AnAudienceWithAdele. 🥺🧡 pic.twitter.com/1kakfvkhiR
— FUSE TV (@fusetv) November 23, 2021
Another instance of Adele's humble personality is when she got emotional seeing the doctor who helped deliver her baby, per The Wrap. During her Las Vegas concert last October, Adele was singing her song "When We Were Young." While walking through the audience, she stopped in her tracks when she saw the doctor who delivered her child. Running up to him and hugging him, the "Love In The Dark" singer told the crowd, "Oh my God Colin! This is my doctor who gave birth to my baby, I haven’t seen you for years." The singer needed a moment to get a hold of her emotions during which the audience sang the lyrics for her.