"Hello, is it me you're looking for?"
Possibly, Lionel, but some viewers struggled to recognise the man they know and love at King Charles' coronation concert last night (7 May).
Downtown Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville introduced Lionel Richie to the stage by referencing one of his biggest hits, saying: "Say you, say me, say it together...it's Lionel Richie!"
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The iconic singer then took his opportunity to perform at the concert which also welcomed the likes of Olly Murs and Katy Perry to the stage in the grounds of Windsor Castle, where he performed some of his classic tracks including 'All Night Long'.
The new King looked to be enjoying the performance as he was spotted dancing along to Richie, but some viewers at home expressed their shock over the singer's voice and appearance.
Richie took to the stage in a black shirt and white studded jacket, but it was his face that baffled some as they suggested his skin looked 'tight' across his head.
"He doesn't even sound like Lionel Richie. His face is so tight," one viewer wrote, while another commented: "Lionel Richie. What on earth happened to you? Your face, your voice."
One viewer suggested it was his 'face' that was 'stopping him from singing properly', while some went as far as to claim they couldn't recognise the singer at all.
"Actually I had no idea who he was, didn’t recognise Lionel Richie… bit rough but funny," they wrote.
Other viewers found issue with Richie's voice, with one saying he sounded 'completely different' at the concert while another added: "What happend [sic] to Lionel his voice?"
In spite of the confusion, there were a lot of viewers who had much more positive things to say about the singer as they made clear they'd loved his appearance and had been dancing along at home.
One person tweeted: "The best part of the Coronation Concert was Lionel Richie. He took me back to those glorious days. Sadly people keep criticising his face & his voice here on Twitter. He did well. After all he is 74! Give him a chance!
He did more than well & got me up my feet dancing."
Richie's performance took place live in front of 20,000 people at Windsor Castle, where as well as King Charles he had the attention of Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Sophie Wessex and Zara and Mike Tindall, all of who watched from the royal box.
Topics: Celebrity, Coronation, King Charles III, Lionel Richie, Twitter, Music
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Emily Brown