Anne-Marie says she has been inspired by the Team GB Olympic athletes
The singer is among a star-studded line-up who are performing at the Team GB Homecoming Concert.
Pop star Anne-Marie has said she feels inspired by the Team GB athletes after their successful performances at the Tokyo Olympics.
The singer, 30, is among the musicians who will perform at the Team GB Homecoming Concert at the SSE Arena in London on Sunday.
The singer is a black belt and former triple world champion in Shotokan karate.
Speaking on the red carpet for the homecoming event, she told the PA news agency: “Being a big fan of sports and the Olympics, I feel like I want to be a part of it because I’m so inspired by them.
“I think growing up doing karate has made me realise how hard it is to be so good at something.
“And they did so well, we got so many medals and so many new people.
“I’m a massive fan of sports people basically.”
The singer, who is from Essex, will perform the track Beautiful from her recently released second album Therapy alongside the English National Ballet.
Discussing her upcoming performance, she said: “To be honest, I feel like this is just a different performance to any one I’ve done, just purely because I feel like I just want to celebrate them instead of my music.
“But hopefully just the message in the song is to make them realise that they’re just so brilliant, and so beautiful, so hopefully they enjoy it.”
Apart from picking up karate once again, the singer confessed she would love to learn how to skateboard after watching the competitors at the newly added Olympic sport.
She added: “I know it’s going to be really hard to learn so I’ve got to start now.”
The celebration event will also see Bastille playing their new single Distorted Light Beam accompanied by a live string orchestra, and Yungblud covering David Bowie’s Heroes alongside dance-circus company Motionhouse.
Also in the line-up is KSI, Rag’n’Bone Man, Griff and Nile Rodgers.
Mica Paris will perform alongside Chickenshed and Laura Mvula is to be accompanied by contemporary dance company Rambert.
Rapper KSI, who is performing Holiday from his new album All Over The Place, told PA from the event’s red carpet: “It’s amazing to be able to be in their presence, it was just cool to see how they brought it home.
“It’s great to be able to support them and perform in front of them and just have good vibes.”
He is also a well-known YouTuber and in recent years had made a name for himself in the boxing ring after fighting rival US YouTuber Logan Paul twice – in 2018 and 2019.
When asked what sport he would try his hand at in the Olympics, he said: “I guess boxing, I thought the weightlifting was also quite fun.
“I saw the BMX as well – insane – and skateboarding, I tried it when I was younger one time, I obviously went on the board and literally just fell instantly and I was like yeah, this ain’t for me.
“So shout out to everyone who’s been smashing it.”
Presented by the National Lottery, the event will be held in front of a live audience of 8,000 people, made up of friends and family of athletes, who were unable to travel to Tokyo, as well as keyworkers and National Lottery players.
The event will be hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo and Greg James and will be aired on BBC One from 7.30pm on August 15.
