Samantha Masters, a content editor, interviewed Welsh music legend Bonnie Tyler in 2023, an encounter she says she will never forget due to a particularly awkward exchange caused by her Essex accent.
Accent Clash with the Welsh Star
Despite nerves that come with speaking to a household name, Masters found Tyler instantly put her at ease. However, while Tyler had travelled the world for decades, navigating Masters' Essex accent proved challenging. Unlike in Gavin & Stacey, where Essex and Welsh characters understand each other perfectly, there were plenty of frowns and "ayes" during their chat, prompting Masters to slow down her speech and repeat herself on several occasions.
While it was a little awkward at times, it did nothing to take away from the joy of having her down-to-earth company via a Zoom call, Masters writes.
Campaigns and Cakes
Tyler spoke enthusiastically about a campaign she was fronting at the time on behalf of McVitie's Jaffa Cakes, which aimed to educate Brits on all things astronomy, from lunar eclipses to star constellations. The singer, who had recently been awarded an MBE for her services to music, also didn't shy away from some unexpected topics.
Meat Loaf and Total Eclipse
One of those was the famous light-hearted dispute she had with the late singer Meat Loaf over her biggest hit, Total Eclipse of the Heart. Tyler claimed the rock legend – real name Michael Lee Aday – and songwriter Jim Steinman had fallen out after Steinman offered the iconic track to her rather than him, following Meat Loaf's loss of his voice in the 1980s.
She said: "Meat Loaf was a bit p****d off about it. He was fine. He used to say, 'Bonnie that song should've been for me!'" Recalling her response, she said: "'Well he didn't give it to you, he gave it to me, so... tough'." Reflecting on their exchanges, she added: "It was always friendly banter."
Mistaken Identity Court Case
Tyler also told Masters about a time she had to "clear her name" following a case of mistaken identity. The singer became embroiled in a court battle with John Cale after he mistook her for a party girl before writing about the incident in his 1999 book. In the book, co-written with Victor Bockris, the musician claimed he found a group of women in his apartment, one of whom he wrongly believed was Tyler.
He reportedly wrote: "Tempers flared and I threw them all out, except one who simply would not go but returned to kick in the door." John alleged the woman was from a band called Bunny, whom he believed was the singer. Little is known about the years-old court case, but Tyler insisted all was well between the pair after he reached out to apologise.
"Whoever it was must've looked like me or whatever, but anyway I had to clear my name," she told Masters. "So, that went to court and I won it of course, because I had never met him, and then I gave the money to charity."
Tyler said that, to this day, she still has no idea who the "party girl" in question was, but insisted the matter was settled following the court outcome and his apology.
