Tony Awards bombshells - Nicole Scherzinger's tears to George Clooney slammed
The Tony Awards took place last night at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with a shock win for former Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger and a dig at a Hollywood legend
The Tony Awards aired yesterday evening, with Cynthia Erivo on hosting duties. The Wicked star fronted the iconic award ceremony, which was attended by a number of stars including Hollywood legend George Clooney.
The ceremony - which aired live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City - saw a number of stars receive huge accolades including Nicole Scherzinger, who won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Here, The Mirror takes a look at some of the biggest moments from the night - when one Hollywood star found himself being straddled, whilst another was the butt of the host's jokes.
Nicole's tears
Nicole Scherzinger was emotional, explaining how she felt like she "didn't belong" when she was growing up as picked up the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
She received the accolade for playing Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical Sunset Boulevard on Broadway and in an emotional speech, she urged others to never "give up" on their dreams.
She said: "Growing up, I always felt like I didn't belong, but you all have made me feel like I belong and I have come home at last. So if there is anyone who feels like they don't belong or your time hasn't come, don't give up. Just keep on giving and giving because the world needs your love and light more than ever. This is a testament that love always wins."
The Pussycat Dolls star fought off competition from Death Becomes Her stars Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard, Audra McDonald for her role in Gypsy and Boop actress Jasmine Amy Rogers to take home the accolade.
Keanu straddled
Hollywood star Keanu Reeves was left stunned when he was straddled by Jonathan Groff. The actor appeared on stage with a medley from Just in Time, as he made his way into the crowd.
Whist in the crowd, Jonathan stood up on the armrests and crouched lower and lower, with Keanu easing into the routine. Fans rushed to social media after the moment and shared their feelings on it.
"I've never been so jealous of two people at once," one wrote, as another added: "Keanu Reeves; a one-of-a-kind Hollywood legend." A third penned: "You could only do that with Keanu. The man is very gracious and will play along."
Cynthia slams Hollywood legend
Cynthia made a cheeky dig at the expense of Hollywood star George Clooney as she hosted the Tony Awards.
In her opening speech, she was quick to praise a number of stars. She told the audience: "What a season, what a line-up of shows being honoured tonight: dramas, comedies, stunning musicals, originals and reimaginations of the highest order.
"Featuring first-time nominees like Cole Escola, Sadie Sink, Louis McCartney — and an up-and-comer that I think you're going to be hearing a lot about: George Clooney. Good for you, George. Things are going your way, I like it a lot for you."
The camera then panned to George who was sat alongside his wife Amal Clooney, who laughed at the joke. George shrugged his shoulders at the comment before then playing along and mouthing: "It's alright."
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I feel like I win every night when people tell me the impact of how my performances impact them. This has been 30 years in the making and I've been working and fighting for this my whole life. "I am completely out of my mind. I just want to go home and cry for a very long time. I won a Tony against an unbelievable category of (women) But I have come home (Broadway) and am back where I was born to be. I mean this - Love always wins.' On stage collecting the gong at the NYC Radio City Music Hall event, she praised her rugby star partner Thom Evans for his ongoing support. "For my fiance Thom who believes in me, when I forget to believe in myself." She added 'Andrew Lloyd Webber, it's happened. It's been such an honour to create with you." Her desire is to continue singing and making music, but in movie musicals or create her own stage show. Nicole, who wore a blood red custom dress to resemble the final scene of the Broadway hit, added: "I want to do it all. I would like to do movies and movie musicals. I would like to build my own show. There are roles I would like to create. "It's validating and it's fulfilling because I know that I'm on the right path. I know I'm back where I was born to be. 'When you see the show, you see the real depths of me as an actor and as a singer and your voice and the range as well. I want to encourage people to keep an open mind and an open heart. You never know where your unexpected dream opportunity is going to come from.' Nicole reflected on her tough mental battle to bounce back from constant rejection after being written off as a failed pop artist Nicole admitted: 'Like so many people, I was put in a box. it is hard when you feel like your whole career, you've been fighting to be seen and fighting to show what you're truly capable of. 'Ten years back after The Dolls, I really wanted to go back to doing musical theater stuff. It's like where my heart whisper is. And there was no path to do that. 'People weren't even allowing me to be seen for filmed musicals and some live stuff going on. 'They just wouldn't even consider seeing me, (they were saying) ' that's going to be a waste of our time. ' I was like, 'they're not taking me seriously. "So I got to educate them. 'So I put on a show exactly six years ago in 2019, I put my money up and did all the songs and the roles I always dreamed of playing that nobody would let me. I created my own show of an hour and 20 minutes. 'I brought it to New York, London, and la and I just put it out there in the universe.' Nicole is grateful that respected producer Jamie Lloyd took a chance on her talent as 'Nobody else would've have asked me. 'He came to me with the idea of playing Norma Desmond. He actually dreamed of me. Isn't that crazy?' Nicole and the team were huge Olivier Award winners with seven gongs. including best musical equalled the record for the most prizes for a musical at the ceremony. Other winners included Succession star Sarah Snook taking best leading actress in a play, for performing all 26 roles in a one-woman stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. And Purpose, about an African-American family who reunite in Chicago, was named best play, a month after winning the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. One of the original Desmond Broadway performers, multiple Oscar nominee Glenn Close has publicly praised Nicole's work. She added to Sirius XM: 'Glenn was intense, because she originated the role. She wrote to me in a card 'to my soul mate'. "It is validating. It is words of affirmation when what you put out, what you're so passionate about and what you put out is being received with the intention that you put it out and received not from your peers, but even giants before you. It's affirming," The 46-year-old recently spoke of how Thom has been a rock to her during her two year run and they plan to wed after her show run. Asked directly "will you get married soon? " , Nicole relied: 'Yes, we will get married. We're engaged - to be married when I'm not working. "Thank God he is so patient. We'll get married back home in Hawaii, where my family is from." Dolls founder Robin Antin installed Nicole as lead singer in 2003, leading them to huge hits, tours and endorsements until 2010. Nicole enjoyed some solo success, before a 2019 reunion tour and third album comeback fell apart over legal woes and fall outs.
