Celine Dion has proved she’s one incredible sport.
Dion, 56, surprised NFL fans by appearing in a pre-recorded video at the beginning of NBC’s Sunday Night Football on Sunday, October 6. But what really shocked viewers was the moment two crew members poured Gatorade over the “My Heart Will Go On” singer.
The introductory video, posted via NFL on NBC’s YouTube channel after it aired on Sunday night, saw Dion speaking to the camera while dressed in a Super Bowl jersey commemorating the rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. The teams, who played one another on Sunday night, were the focus of a passionate speech from Dion.
“I think my favorite thing about this game is its power to connect who we are to who we were, to prove our most powerful memories, our most enduring loves can stay with us forever. You know what I’m talking about, right?” Dion told the camera as her 1996 track, “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” played in the background. “Sometimes, some nights, it all just comes back. The love affair. Well, maybe not ‘love’ the way I usually sing about it. But still… work with me here.”
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Dion continued, “Like tonight, evoking the kind of magic they once produced. The Cowboys and the Steelers, a timeless classic on Sunday Night.” She then let the video’s producers help her recreate the classic coach moment of being soaked with a cooler of Gatorade, allowing the team to let the sports’ drink stream over her head.
Completely drenched and visibly shocked by the icy temperature of the drink, Dion is then seen grinning and even fist-pumping the air, confirming her sense of humor and passion for the game.
The surprise sporting cameo comes just three months after she performed at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Taking to social media on July 26 after she wrapped her long-awaited return to the stage, she wrote via Instagram, “I’m honored to have performed tonight, for the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, and so full of joy to be back in one of my very favorite cities! Most of all, I’m so happy to be celebrating these amazing athletes, with all their stories of sacrifice and determination, pain and perseverance.”
The star, whose last live performance before the Olympic Games took place four years prior, continued, “All of you have been so focused on your dream, and whether or not you take home a medal, I hope that being here means that it has come true for you! You should all be so proud, we know how hard you have worked to be the best of the best. Stay focused, keep going, my heart is with you!”
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Dion was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in December 2022. As a result of the diagnosis, she was forced to cancel several performances, sharing the shocking news with her legion of fans via Instagram at the time.
“Hello, everyone. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to reach out to you. I miss you all so much and I can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person. As you know, I’ve always been an open book and I wasn’t ready to say anything before, but I’m ready now,” an emotional Dion said in an Instagram video on December 8 that year. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.”
Dion’s return to the stage at the 2024 Olympic Games return was an acclaimed success, delivering a powerful rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” at the base of the Eiffel Tower.
