BBC radio presenter Jo Whiley has left fans astonished after revealing she made a hidden cameo in one of Britain's most beloved Christmas films, Love Actually.
The Festive Podcast Revelation
Whiley, 60, shared the surprising secret during a Christmas quiz on her Dig It podcast. She was joined by fellow DJ Zoe Ball, 55, and their daughters for the festive challenge. It was during this light-hearted session that Whiley disclosed her involvement in the 2003 romantic comedy, a fact that had eluded many fans for two decades.
The DJ confirmed that her voice can be heard playing a radio presenter in the film's iconic scene where Hugh Grant's character, Prime Minister David, dances exuberantly around 10 Downing Street to Jump by The Pointer Sisters. "I actually do the voice of the DJ in this particular scene," Whiley stated, prompting an excited Zoe Ball to exclaim, "You do! You're in Love Actually!"
A Family Reaction of Shock and Admiration
The admission caused a wave of surprise, particularly for Zoe Ball's 16-year-old daughter, Nelly. A visibly shocked Nelly responded, "Oh my God, I never realised that it's you!" Whiley then recited her famous line from the film: "So that's what the girls were just saying, a golden oldie for a golden oldie, this one's for the Prime Minister, and it's Hugh Grant."
Jo's own daughter, India, 33, declared it "definitely the coolest thing you've never done," a sentiment echoed by her sister Coco, 17. Zoe Ball summarised the collective awe, stating firmly, "That IS the coolest thing you've ever done."
In the completed scene, viewers hear Whiley's voice introducing the track with the line: "It's almost enough to make you feel patriotic, so here's one for our 'a**e-kicking Prime Minister.' I think he'll enjoy this. A Golden Oldie for a Golden Oldie." This cues the Prime Minister's now-legendary dance routine.
Hugh Grant's 'Excruciating' Dance Scene
Despite the scene's enduring popularity, Hugh Grant himself has previously admitted he found filming it "quite excruciating." In the ABC News special The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later, Grant recalled, "I saw it in the script and I thought, 'Well, I'll hate doing that.' I didn't fancy doing the dance at all, let alone rehearsing it."
Writer and director Richard Curtis, who was interviewed alongside Grant, joked that the actor "kept saying no" to the sequence. Curtis suggested Grant was hoping to avoid it entirely, quipping, "I think he was hoping I'd get ill or something and we'd say, 'Oh, well, what a shame, we'll have to lose that dancing sequence.'"
Curtis added that Grant was "grumpy" on the filming day but honoured a "contractual obligation." Grant humorously corrected him, calling it a "contractual guillotine," and noted, "And I'm out of rhythm, by the way, especially at the beginning when I wiggle my ass."
Curtis praised Grant's commitment, saying the result was "agonizingly embarrassing. He's just perfect." Grant also revealed he suggested having the Prime Minister's secretary catch him mid-dance. Reflecting on the scene's legacy, Grant concluded, "And to this day, there's many people — and I agree with them — who think it's the most excruciating scene ever committed to celluloid. But then some people like it!"
