A 57-year-old Adelaide man has catapulted to international fame after pulling off an ambitious breakdancing move in front of Rita Ora.
The UK singer shared a clip of Ian Smith doing “the worm” with millions of her social media followers.
In it, a tuxedo-clad Smith lunges headfirst to the floor before rippling back up to his feet while Ora performs. Looking on is a slightly startled-looking Julie Bishop, Australia’s former foreign affairs minister.
Smith is a lobbyist, South Australia’s honorary UK consul, the husband of the former senator and Australian Democrats leader, Natasha Stott Despoja, and deputy chair of Prince’s Trust Australia. Bishop is its chair. The pair were at the Prince’s Trust Gala in New York.
The former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was also there, along with a range of celebrities.
Ora put out a call to her 2.5 million TikTok followers to track Smith down. “Find this man … I need him at every show,” she said. “I need you in my life.”
Stott Despoja then told Ora that the “worm guy” was her husband.
“Natasha sort of saw her and said, ‘My husband is the worm guy,’ to which she reacted with such fondness … I took it as fondness, she probably thought I was a mad stalker,” Smith told ABC radio, adding that he had perfected the move over many years.
“You don’t want to be overconfident in these things,” he said. “There have been a few times when I have been very sore. But luckily the other night wasn’t too bad.”
.@RitaOra Welcome to my world!😂 So glad you got to meet your dancing fan & my hubby @ianrsmith65! Thanks for being so gracious, Was a thrill to meet you. @KateBeckinsale https://t.co/Ax372NZ18x
— Natasha Stott Despoja (@NStottDespoja) April 30, 2023
Bishop, who later shared a photo of herself with Ora and Smith, “probably looked on with some incredulity”, he said.
“It was a different form of diplomacy but it was all for the right cause. And I have to tell you, Rita Ora was just the most wonderful, charming person. It’s been a bit of fun.
“I’ve left Adelaide for the big time now. The worm goes global.”
