When British comedian and TV legend Harry Hill appeared on the hit ITV show, ‘Stars In Their Eyes,’ he transformed into one of the pop-rock world’s most recognizable singers – Morrissey, frontman for The Smiths.
‘Stars In Their Eyes’ was, of course, the show where amateur singers and the odd celebrity impersonated world-famous singers, not only by recreating their trademark vocal styles but by dressing up like the spitting image of their chosen star.
While Harry Hill has never been famed for his musical skills, his surprise ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ appearance culminated in one of the most spot-on Morrissey impressions we’ve ever seen here at The Music Man. Performing The Smiths’ 1983 single, ‘This Charming Man,’ Music Man readers can check out Harry’s cackle-worthy performance in the video above.
In this flashback clip from 2001, Harry Hill hits the stage for a quick pre-performance interview, where unacquainted viewers can catch a glimpse of the comedian as he’s known and adored by Brits across the country.
But, as Harry disappears and emerges through the show’s iconic smoke screen, he transforms into a brand new man, almost unrecognizable as he re-enters the spotlight in a loose black shirt and jewelry, clutching a bouquet of red flowers in his hand and, even more shockingly, with hair on his head!
As The Smiths’ backing track plays out, Harry Hill doesn’t merely capture Morrissey’s early-era stage presence, but perfectly recreates his operatic vocal tones, maintaining spot-on pitch through every lyric. It’s only as Harry’s song wraps up, and he returns to his usual facial expressions, that we reconnect with any semblance of the real Harry Hill.
This performance quickly became so legendary that it grabbed the attention of comedian and interviewer Jonathan Ross, who couldn’t help but ask Morrissey about it when he nabbed The Smiths’ star for an episode of his chat show. Want to see for yourself just how Morrissey felt about Harry Hill’s impersonation? Check out his reaction in the interview below!
Fans of Harry’s performance have been busy praising his unexpectedly flawless voice, with one top commenter on this viral video writing, “Morrissey has a very unusual voice. Harry did good job with perfecting it indeed. Great job man!”
But for others, the impression was outshone by the fact that, for perhaps the first time in his public career, Harry Hill was spotted with a hairdo. One viewer even commented, “Can we all take a moment to congratulate whoever fitted that wig!”