People cannot stop talking about Madonna‘s 2026 MTV VMA performance.
Forty-two years after she performed at the first VMAs while rolling around in a wedding dress and singing “Like a Virgin,” and 23 years since she last opened the award show with an unforgettable rendition of that track alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Missy Elliott, the Queen of Pop took the stage with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX.
Madonna and Carpenter sang their collaboration “Bring Your Love” from Madge’s album Confessions II. Charli XCX then joined for a performance of “Danceteria Afterhours.” There were also some special cameos from Julia Garner, Seth Rogen, Debi Mazar, Sombr, and Andrew Watt.
While some praised the act and even called it as memorable as when Madonna shared the stage with Spears and Aguilera, others labeled the superstar as “desperate” and social media lit up with cruel comments claiming that the 68-year-old is way past her prime and her time is over.
Either way, like it or love it, more than four decades after she graced the VMAs stage the first time, Madonna’s performance was the most talked-about of the night.
With all the talk about Material Girl’s recent act, someone who worked with her years ago is sharing their memories of the day someone on her staff made a major mistake.
Gareth Davies, who is now the CEO of The Presenter Studio, worked as a assistant floor manager in the ’90s and early 2000s for the BBC’s TV show Top of the Pops. He worked backstage alongside several iconic artists including Kylie Minogue, Janet Jackson, Bryan Adams, Jennifer Lopez, Shania Twain, and Madonna.
As part of his job, Davies moved between dressing rooms and the studio floor, coordinating the rehearsals and live performances for the show.
Speaking on behalf of online bingo provider Zingo Bingo, Davies recalled when someone on the “Vogue” singer’s team forgot some very important items, caused a delay, and likely lost their job.
“I do remember that one time when Madonna came over, everything felt much tighter and more rushed than usual,” Davies shared. “Sometimes an artist would record several songs from an album in one go, so they wouldn’t have to keep coming back again and again. From the moment she arrived, it was straight into the studio, rehearsing, back to get ready, then out on stage.
“But she and her team had all rushed in from a hotel in central London, and somehow her stylist had left all the outfits behind. We actually had to delay because Madonna had nothing to wear. It really felt like she held someone responsible for every tiny detail, so you can imagine whoever was in charge of the wardrobe that day was probably in serious trouble.”
Of all the stars he’s come across, Davies revealed that Janet Jackson was the most down-to-earth and “felt like one of the dancers, really, just keen to be part of the group rather than setting herself apart as the star.” He added that Britney Spears “was asking where we were all going that evening. She was so fun and sweet. She was just a young girl excited to be visiting London.”
And Bryan Adams “sat in the make-up chair for hours just chatting away with the makeup artists. He was the loveliest man and a real heartthrob at the time, so I’m sure they were thrilled.”
