Mark Levengood recalls emotional meeting with late singer Bonnie Tyler

The recent passing of Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler has prompted reflections and tributes from various figures, including Swedish television host Mark Levengood. Levengood shared a poignant memory of meeting Tyler in Malmö in 2013, an encounter that left the usually stoic singer in tears.

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I told her that I thought her mother would be proud, whereupon she started crying profusely in front of me.

Levengood recalled that during an interview, he expressed to Tyler his belief that her mother would have been proud of her. This sentiment visibly moved the singer, causing her to "start crying profusely" before him. The interview concluded with a hug before Tyler had to rush off to perform.

Later that week, Tyler extended an unusual invitation to Levengood, asking him to join her in her hotel suite before the Eurovision final. Levengood readily accepted, describing the evening as "unusually crazy" and filled with laughter and drinks shared with Tyler and her hairdresser.

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It was an unusually crazy episode.

Levengood, a longtime fan since his teenage years, connected Tyler's music, particularly "Total Eclipse of the Heart," with a formative personal experience of trying kebab for the first time. He expressed admiration for her "cracked voice," seeing it as a sign of authenticity and "heart" rather than a manufactured pop product.

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She was a fantastic and much-loved singer who was active and working during the King's formative years.

Bonnie Tyler's death has also been acknowledged by the Swedish Royal Family, with the King's dog named Bonnie in her honor. The Royal Court's press service described her as a "fantastic and much-loved singer" active during the King's formative years. In her native Wales, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth hailed her as a "true icon whose music brought joy to so many."

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She was a true icon whose music brought joy to so many.