1 | Simon Cowell gets egged during Britain’s Got Talent
Suggested by YorkerBouncer and Ben Blatch-Hanlon
During the season finale in 2013, a disgruntled viola player ran to the front of the stage during finalist duo Richard and Adam’s performance. She immediately began pelting eggs at the judges’ table. The pair continued singing and were later praised by Cowell for their professional attitude during the incident. Reader Ben Blatch-Hanlon says that the egg thrower made “millions of people worldwide incredibly envious”.
2 | Ronnie Wood v Brandon Block
Suggested by MidasRex
At the Brit awards in 2000, DJ Brandon Block climbed on stage and traded insults with Ronnie Wood after his friends convinced him he was being given an award. Wood and Thora Birch were onstage to present the best soundtrack gong. Just as Birch was about to announce the winner, Block appeared onstage to claim the award. He was eventually dragged away, but not before he got a face full of Wood’s drink. MidasRex describes this incident as “Ronnie Wood being a hero once again”.
3 | Noel Gallagher pushed over during a performance
Suggested by Augasm
During an Oasis performance at the V festival in Toronto, a man, Daniel Sullivan, ran up behind Noel Gallagher while the band were performing and knocked him down on to his monitor speakers. Sullivan attempted to run away but was immediately tackled by security and dragged off stage. Reader Augasm, clearly not an Oasis fan, calls Sullivan “a hero”. Gallagher returned to finish the set; Sullivan received a 12-month conditional sentence.
4 | Sparks v the crowd
Suggested by ID1100766
During a performance at Fairfield Halls in Croydon, the band’s singer, Russell Mael, was mobbed by a group of enthusiastic fans. Reader ID1100766 recommends this stage takeover “for sheer perseverance on the part of both bands and invaders”. It all started when a group of girls climbed on stage and tackled him to the ground. Despite security’s best efforts, fans continued to run on stage and make grabs for the frontman. Mael did his best to avoid further takedowns and, although he was jumped on several more times, managed to finish the song.
5 | Bernard Levin v Desmond Leslie
Suggested by natjim
Journalist and broadcaster Bernard Levin was interrupted on an episode of That Was the Week That Was by disgruntled husband Desmond Leslie. Leslie, angry over a review of his then-wife Agnes Bernelle’s show Savagery and Delight, stormed on stage, demanded Levin stand up, and began punching him. Afterwards Levin joked that the attack was not part of their Saturday evening show.
6 | Sepp Blatter v Lee Nelson
Suggested by natjim
Serial prankster “Lee Nelson”, real name Simon Brodkin, stormed a Fifa press conference and threw money at the now suspended president, Sepp Blatter. Nelson wore a media badge with a North Korea symbol, approached Blatter saying “Korea 2026” and started laying down money. When he was dragged away, he flung the remaining cash at Blatter, saying: “Here you go, Sepp, it’s all there!” Nelson faces a criminal investigation for trespassing.
7 | Uninvited man joins Spain’s Eurovision contestant
Suggested by Brackers
At Eurovision 2010, the Spanish contestant Daniel Diges was joined onstage by a group of dancers, as well as an extra man who snuck on to join the performance. The crasher snuck up and attempted to mimic Diges’s dancers for several seconds, before he was chased off stage. Diges remained seemingly unfazed by his newfound backup singer. Commenter Brackers says: “Fair play to the singer. He just carried on as if nothing was happening.” Diges was allowed to perform again at the end of the show, but Germany ultimately grabbed the prize that year.
8 | Rage Against the Machine bassist v the VMAs
Suggested by HeyBulldog
Almost a decade before Kanye stormed the stage on Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music awards (VMAs), Rage Against the Machine’s Tim Commerford launched an invasion on Limp Bizkit. At the 2000 VMAs, Rage Against the Machine were up against Limp Bizkit for best rock video. When Limp Bizkit won, Commerford ran on stage and climbed up a fake palm tree. He intended to bring the tree down, but the palm wouldn’t budge, and security struggled to get him out of the tree. He spent a night in jail for disorderly conduct and was released on time served.
9 | Joni Mitchell v Yogi Joe
Suggested by mikedow
Joni Mitchell’s performance at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970 was interrupted when a hippie called Yogi Joe came on stage and started playing conga drums. Mitchell and her management decided to let him stay onstage in order to avoid agitating the already hostile crowd. But when Joe got up and took the microphone from Mitchell to make an announcement, the stagehands finally had to drag him away. The crowd responded by booing Mitchell, until she made a tearful plea, asking the crowd to respect performers. Mitchell won over the crowd and Joe’s ramblings carried on offstage.
10 | Karl Power v Manchester United
Suggested by stevenjameshyde
Karl Power is a prankster known for appearing at sporting events as an impostor. In 2001, Power snuck on to the pitch, in full United kit, before the team’s Uefa Champions League match against Bayern Munich in Germany. After the photo was taken, a nationwide manhunt took place in Britain, with tabloid newspapers asking readers to send them information about his identity.
