Pop star turned elite swimmer Cody Simpson has treated fans to a performance of the national anthem at the AFL grand final.
The crowd of approximately 100,000 Aussies listened on as Simpson delivered a touching rendition of Advance Australia Fair.
It was one of only a handful of times Simpson has taken to the stage since he embarked on a swimming career in 2019.
Watch the video above.
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Earlier this month, Simpson told fans on social media he was “stoked to sing the biggest national anthem of the year”.
“It’s a special and timely opportunity for me to step back on stage after my sporting career,” he said.
“As an Australian, it’s one of the greatest honours and I hope I can deliver something that everyone can sing along to and share in the pride to be a member of this beautiful country.”
Though he came close both times, he was unfortunately unsuccessful in securing a place on the Olympic team for both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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He was still present in the French city cheering on his teammates, particularly his partner, fellow swimmer Emma McKeon, who earned the title of most decorated Aussie Olympian.
And of course, those tuning in to the pre-game entertainment would have seen Perry’s surprise for the Aussie crowd in the form of a duet with the one and only Tina Arena.
Watch the video above.
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The singer had brought out guitarists to perform her 2008 song I Kissed A Girl, but just as she reached the chorus she shouted out, “Please welcome Tina Arena!”
The Aussie legend rose from the stage wearing a silver sequined outfit and the pair stood back to back as they finished off the song.
Perry then repaid the honour by performing a duet of Arena’s song I’m In Chains, telling the crowd, “Come on, Australia, I know you know it, so sing it!”
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She thanked the Aussie singer, asking the crowd to “Make some noise for Tina Arena!”
This performance is Arena’s first big one since revealing she was suffering from health complications.
The singer recently that she had to cancel her Love Saves tour last year due to “excruciating pain” she felt after she performed only two shows of the tour.
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“I was in ICU for about six days, nearly seven days,” she explained, revealing the cause for her illness was an infected kidney.
“My kidney was very close to exploding because it was highly, highly infected,” she explained.
She asked her doctors to let her go after ten days of rest, but they insisted she cancel her tour.
Recalling that she “didn’t realise the severity of what was going on”, Arena said she believed the incident was due to “many years of buildup of extraordinary pain”.
“Your body sort of just goes, ‘Enough, enough, it’s time for you to draw the curtains and just concentrate on you’.”
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