Producer Gareth Davies revealed pop stars Shania Twain and Jennifer Lopez were the biggest divas on BBC music show Top of the Pops.
Davies worked on the British program between 1996 and 2001, witnessing unusual behavior and random requests from international music icons.
Top of the Pops was a long-running BBC television show featuring performances from chart-topping artists. During his five-year tenure, Davies observed how major stars managed their studio appearances.
Speaking in an interview with Page Six, Davies highlighted Canadian country music icon Shania Twain as one of the most memorable divas on the show, saying she did not open doors herself.
Davies recalled that as soon as Twain was called to perform on stage, her staff formed a long line through the building. "With Shania Twain, as soon as she was asked to come on stage at 'Top of the Pops', there was this very long line of entourage running one after the other, almost like a conga [to get the doors open]," Davies said.
"They were basically all running to the next door, the next door, the next door through the BBC corridors to make sure that when Shania started walking, she didn't have to slow down at any point," he added.
Davies described the operation as fascinating to watch, noting there was a regimented line where staff could face trouble if they failed to reach a door first. He characterized the procedure as "a little bit overkill" and crowned Twain as one of the biggest divas he had ever met.
White Dressing Rooms and Studio Demands
Davies awarded American singer and actress Jennifer Lopez the prize for "sassiest" guest during her appearance on Top of the Pops.
He revealed that Lopez required all of her backstage dressing rooms to be decorated in white, covering the spaces in a white plastic material.
"It was like this white plastic film that went everywhere," Davies explained. "She managed to take over a whole corridor and got all of those rooms decked out [in] white, which for the BBC back in those days, this felt very unusual."
Davies added that time, money, and effort were spent ensuring Lopez felt sassy backstage. Beyond the dressing rooms, her requests extended to the stage, where she allegedly demanded a white microphone for the show.
Large Entourages and Studio Mishaps
Pop star Madonna also earned a mention from Davies as somewhat of a diva for arriving at the BBC studios with a massive support team.
While other artists such as Macy Gray kept their entourage small, Madonna arrived with a large crew where everyone had a specific role within a big machine.
Davies recounted an incident when a member of Madonna's team failed to bring her outfits. "She kind of had that one job just to bring the outfits, but didn't bring them, which I thought was very funny," Davies said.
Davies noted that he did not see any immediate fallout from the mistake, adding that any conflict would have been hidden from Madonna. He observed that even with a massive entourage, simple things can still go wrong.
Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Twain, Lopez, and Madonna for comment.
Low Key Guests and Surprising Encounters
In contrast to Twain, Lopez, and Madonna, Davies noted that several other major pop acts were surprisingly down to earth during their studio visits.
He reported having easygoing experiences with Britney Spears, Australian singer Kylie Minogue, and British girl group the Spice Girls.
Davies expressed surprise at Janet Jackson's relaxed demeanor, admitting that production staff had expected the American star to arrive late.
"Janet Jackson was one where we were waiting for quite a long time for Janet to arrive and expecting Janet to be really late and just hanging out on the stage with all of Janet's back-up dancers," Davies recalled.
Davies explained that crew members assumed Jackson was running behind until someone noticed she had been sitting on the studio floor waiting for the crew, rather than keeping the production team waiting.
