Bob Mortimer was once a solicitor and was able to help Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker after he was ‘arrested’ following his infamous stage invasion at the Brit Awards
Amazon Prime’s latest comedy offering, Last One Laughing UK, has introduced Bob Mortimer to a whole new generation of admirers – many of whom are unaware of his previous career as a solicitor, or his involvement in a bizarre incident at the Brit Awards during the 1990s.
Back in 1996, Pulp had secured four Brit Award nominations for best album, best group, best single, and best video, only to be beaten by Oasis and Take That across the board.
The band was scheduled to perform Sorted for E’s & Wizz, but first, Michael Jackson took to the stage to deliver Earth Song at the ceremony.
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Admittedly, the performance was somewhat unusual, with Jackson accompanied by a Rabbi and several children for his first British stage appearance in two decades – but everything seemed to be running smoothly.
That is, until Pulp’s lead singer Jarvis Cocker made the spontaneous decision to storm the stage, pull down his trousers and expose his backside to the King of Pop.
The impromptu stunt was Jarvis’s way of protesting against Jackson, which resulted in him being detained and questioned by police on suspicion of assault.
Fortunately, a qualified solicitor turned comic was available to lend a hand. Bob had practised as a solicitor previously, which meant he could assist Jarvis in navigating the legal mess. Recalling the incident on Radio 6, the comedian revealed: “I went backstage at the Brits and Ant from Pulp came up to me and said ‘Jarvis has been arrested, and Michael Jackson’s people are holding him.'”
He admitted he had been completely oblivious to what had unfolded, but made his way to the portacabin where Jarvis was being detained. “I said ‘I’m Jarvis’s solicitor, I demand entrance to the portacabin.’ They refused to let me in. This was heavy-duty security.”
“So I found a female police officer and I said ‘I’m Jarvis’ solicitor and these guys won’t let me in. Can you help me get in?'”
He succeeded in entering the room with her assistance and asked a ‘sheepish’ Jarvis ‘what on earth was going on?’ He recalled that Jarvis said: “I showed my bum to Michael Jackson!”
During an interview with Richard Herring on a podcast, Bob revealed that the ‘police were lovely’ but it ‘all was a bit unpleasant.’ He mentioned that the ‘police were a bit frightened’ by Jackson’s entourage and wanted to arrest Jarvis and remove him from the Awards ceremony.
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