Adele attributes her huge success to Sarah Palin

(Image credit: BBC One)

published 20 November 2015

Viewers in Britain got to watch Adele's first live performance in two years on Thursday night in a BBC One special, Adele - Live at the BBC, recorded on Nov. 2. (Viewers outside Britain will be able to watch it, retitled Adele - Live in London, at some future date.) Along with the live performances, Adele sat down with host Graham Norton to talk about her career, life, and new album, 25. Among her revelations was the role 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin played in her rise to worldwide fame.

When she made her debut on Saturday Night Live, she told Norton, Palin had been scheduled to appear the following weekend, but "because something came up in the campaign, she came and did the week I was doing it." Palin was ratings gold in 2008, "so it was one of the most watched SNLs ever, and then it was two weeks before the Grammy ballot, which is when people decide what songs they want to maybe nominate, so, like, literally the stars aligned for me," Adele told Norton. "And then the album shot to No. 1 on iTunes, I was nominated for a Grammy, and I won one. I mean it was a joke. It was a joke. All thanks to Sarah Palin."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.