iWorld
Adele impersonator clip smashes BBC YouTube record
MUMBAI: Another day, yet another record broken for Adele… a sketch from BBC One’s Adele at the BBC special has been viewed more than 37 million times in just two weeks, making it the most-watched video ever on the BBC YouTube channel.
The comedy sketch, ‘When Adele wasn’t Adele… but was Jenny!’ has broken the previous record of 36.9 million views. It became an instant global hit on the BBC YouTube channel after being featured in the programme, a one-off special broadcast on 20 November on BBC One. The television show has now been watched by 5.8 million people and an extended version featuring previously unseen footage will be shown on BBC One on 1 January.
The five-and-a-half minute clip, which was released straight after the programme aired – features the singer going undercover, complete with prosthetic nose and chin and long gloves to cover her tattoos, to participate in a fake audition to find the best Adele impersonator. Telling the others taking part that her name is Jenny, she says she is a full-time nanny and part-time impersonator and quips it’s been ‘a bit slow recently’ due to ‘not much demand’. Due on last, the other singers comfort ‘Jenny’ backstage when she tells them she feels sick ahead of her performance – but when she breaks into her hit Make You Feel My Love, we see the heart-warming reactions of the impersonators as they realise one by one that ‘Jenny’ is actually the real Adele.
One of the lookalikes who took part in the sketch, Talullah Windmill, says, “I am amazed the sketch has been so popular. Even though the day was one I’ll never forget, I never thought it would be watched by so many and be this well received. All the comments left are so lovely, it is truly overwhelming.”
The previous Number 1 clip features Will Smith on The Graham Norton Show performing a song medley, including the theme to 90s sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air, with his son Jaden Smith, Alfonso Ribero, who played Carlton in the series, and DJ Jazzy Jeff. It has been on the BBC YouTube Channel for over two years and has now been knocked down to second place.
BBC Music director Bob Shennan says, “I’m delighted to see such a phenomenal response to the show in the UK, and to see the magical sketch gain a huge global audience who are enjoying and sharing the BBC’s content.”
Guy Freeman, executive producer of Adele at the BBC adds, “Adele was very keen to do the sketch and worked closely with my team to make this comedy-gold moment such a roaring success. She shows not only what a great sport she is, but also what a great comedy actor she is too.”
Marking her return to the music scene with this world exclusive one hour special – her first television performance since she performed Skyfall at the Oscars in 2013 – this sketch featured alongside performances of her much-loved classics and new material from her recently released album, plus an interview with Graham Norton about her life and career.
iWorld
WPP Opendoor and Snapchat launch AI Lens for Prime Video India
Generative AI Lens personalises content discovery with real-time user integration.
MUMBAI: In the age of main characters, Prime Video is handing users the script and the spotlight. WPP Opendoor, WPP’s dedicated Amazon unit, has teamed up with Snapchat to roll out an India-first generative AI-powered Lens for Prime Video’s latest campaign, ‘Stories for Your Every Era… it’s on Amazon Prime’. The activation taps into the rising “era-core” trend, where identities shift with moods, moments and mindsets and content is expected to keep up.
The Lens does exactly that. Using generative AI, it places users directly into the worlds of popular Prime Video titles such as Maxton Hall, Beast Games, The Boys and The Traitors, embedding their faces into key visuals in real time. The result is less browsing, more becoming.
The idea is rooted in a behavioural shift: audiences increasingly see themselves as the centre of their own narratives, especially on social platforms. By turning viewers into participants, the campaign blurs the line between content discovery and content experience.
It also introduces a layer of personalisation that goes beyond algorithms. Whether someone identifies with a “trust no-one era” or an “infinite aura era”, the Lens curates recommendations that align with that evolving identity making discovery feel intuitive rather than instructed.
This marks a shift in how streaming platforms approach engagement. Instead of pushing titles, the focus is on pulling users into the story itself transforming passive scrolling into interactive storytelling.
The collaboration also underscores how platforms like Snapchat are becoming key playgrounds for content marketing, particularly when paired with emerging technologies like generative AI. The format is native, immersive and built for participation three things traditional discovery often struggles to deliver.
In a crowded streaming landscape, where attention is the real currency, Prime Video’s bet is clear, if viewers feel like the story is about them, they are far more likely to press play.
