Idris Elba Says He Felt "A Lot Of Pressure" About DJing At Meghan & Harry's Wedding

Just when you think Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s 2018 royal wedding couldn’t get any cooler, you remember that they had a huge reception full of A-list celebrities. And oh yes, Idris Elba was the DJ. The actor recently shared some behind-the-scenes stories from his night as a DJ to the royal family, and each precious tidbit is just glorious.

Elba was a guest at Meghan and Harry’s May 2018 wedding along with his wife Sabrina Dhowre, and was hired to take charge of the music choices for their reception afterwards. Elba is a professional disc jockey who previously went by the name “DJ Big Driis,” and of course he also played a DJ in the Netflix series Turn Up Charlie. So clearly he was the perfect choice for the couple, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t nervous.

“This wasn't like my cousin's wedding," Elba told the Daily Mail. “This [reception] wasn't at the community hall... This was a big, big deal.”

It wasn’t simply the whole scope of the event that had Elba sweating. “They’re good friends and I wanted to make sure they had a great time, so there was a lot of pressure,” he told the Daily Mail.

Fortunately for him, Meghan made sure he knew what songs she might like to hear. “Meghan had sent me a playlist, so I knew what she wanted already,” Elba admitted. Top of her list? Whitney Houston’s dance hit from 1987 “I Want To Dance With Somebody,” which the couple danced to for their first official song at their Frogmore House reception.

Idris Elba was by no means the only celebrity friend on hand to celebrate at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding reception. Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, and George and Amal Clooney were all on hand for the big night. As far as other members of the royal family go, Queen Elizabeth hosted a wedding day luncheon for the couple after they said their vows at St. George’s Chapel, so it seems unlikely she was on hand to hear Elba spinning his records. But Kate Middleton and Prince William were reportedly there to dance the night away. Oh what a night.