King Charles’s unusual request for a “Sugababes CD” to be played has sparked an awkward admission from a DJ.
The King made the musical request during a Buckingham Palace reception on Wednesday evening, asking for Sugababes tracks to be played on the red carpet at Thursday’s King’s Trust Awards ceremony.
The monarch hosted a gathering celebrating young people supported by his charity, with Hollywood stars George and Amal Clooney joining British celebrities including Dame Joanna Lumley, Joseph Fiennes and Ant and Dec.
The exchange occurred when Radio 1 DJ Melvin Odoom, who will perform a DJ set for red carpet arrivals, asked the King: “Any tunes you want, let me know”.
King Charles’s unusual request for ‘Sugababes CD’ sparks awkward admission.
PA
Odoom later revealed: “He asked for the Sugababes CD to be played.”
The DJ awkwardly admitted: “I didn’t want to say to him we don’t use CDs anymore, I’m using USB, but I’ll drop the Sugababes.”
The Sugababes, who recently completed a tour, were delighted by the royal request. Keisha Buchanan said: “That’s very, very cool to know the King has requested us.”
The group told Charles they had been performing for 25 years, prompting surprise from the monarch. “He said he wanted a CD and we think we’ll introduce him to Overload first, he was really lovely,” Buchanan added.
The Sugababes members spoke to the King at today’s event.
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George Clooney attended alongside his wife Amal, who was supporting Alice, a 19-year-old winner of the Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award. Alice established a business teaching Kenyan beadwork to other women after participating in a King’s Trust International programme.
Ant and Dec, serving as the trust’s goodwill ambassadors, will host the awards ceremony for the thirteenth time.
Dec Donnelly joked that Charles had offered to contribute material for their presentation, saying: “He’s going to do some script writing for us, it’s always gratefully received”.
The reception preceded the awards ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall, marking nearly five decades of the trust’s work supporting disadvantaged youth. The King’s specific request for the girl group’s music emerged during conversations with performers and presenters involved in the event.
Melvin Odoom (pictured third from the left) made an awkward admission after the King’s request.
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Actor Joseph Fiennes praised the King’s charitable work, calling him the “patron saint of second chances” for supporting young people over nearly five decades.
The King’s Trust will mark its 50th anniversary in 2026, having originated from Charles’s concern about young people being excluded from society through a lack of opportunity.
In 1976, upon leaving the Royal Navy, he used his £7,400 severance pay to fund community schemes that became the charity’s founding projects.
Fiennes reflected on the trust’s vital role, particularly following recent challenges. “Cost of living, mental crises after Covid, this deep rupture in our psyche, especially for the youth, has been massive, so for the trust to be running and doing what it’s doing is so extraordinary,” he said.