Noddy Holder on Fame, Glam Rock, and Myth-Making: A Revealing 2003 Conversation with Jonathan Ross
In a memorable 2003 television appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Slade frontman Noddy Holder offered a candid, humorous, and surprisingly reflective look at his career, his band, and the cultural moment that shaped British glam rock in the early 1970s. More than a light-hearted chat show segment, the interview stands today as a revealing snapshot of a musician who understood both the absurdity and the seriousness of pop stardom.
From the opening moments, the tone is set by Ross’s trademark teasing and Holder’s quick-witted self-awareness. Jokes about age, excess, and survival in rock and roll give way to genuine insight, particularly when the conversation turns to Holder’s voice. One of the interview’s most striking moments comes as Holder recalls a personal encounter with John Lennon, who once told him that Noddy possessed one of the best voices in rock music. For Holder, it remained the greatest compliment of his career, not because of ego, but because of its source and spontaneity.
The interview also touches on Holder’s recognition as a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Rather than framing it as personal triumph, Holder speaks of the honor as a family moment, recalling the formality of the occasion and a warm, human exchange with Prince Charles. The anecdote underscores the unusual journey of Slade: a band once dismissed as loud, brash, and disposable pop, later acknowledged as a lasting part of Britain’s cultural fabric.
A substantial portion of the discussion is devoted to Slade in Flame, the 1974 feature film that defied expectations. Holder explains that audiences anticipated a lighthearted comedy in the mold of early Beatles films, but Slade instead delivered a stark, unvarnished portrayal of the music industry’s darker realities. Watching it decades later, the film’s atmosphere and emotional honesty remain intact, reinforcing its status as one of the most credible rock films of its era.
Visually, the interview revisits Slade’s flamboyant glam period, particularly Holder’s iconic mirrored top hat. Far from being a stylist’s creation, Holder reveals it was self-made, carefully assembled and engineered to create dramatic lighting effects during live shows. The story highlights how Slade treated visual spectacle as an extension of performance rather than a marketing gimmick, enhancing the band’s already powerful connection with audiences.
As the conversation loosens, Holder’s personality fully emerges. He cheerfully revisits his long-held belief that Elvis Presley may still be alive, presenting it with half-serious logic and full comedic conviction. What might sound eccentric in print becomes, in context, a reminder of Holder’s storytelling instincts and his refusal to separate myth, humor, and rock and roll lore.
By the interview’s end, it becomes clear that this was more than nostalgia-driven television. Noddy Holder appears not as a relic of glam rock, but as its articulate chronicler: aware of its excesses, proud of its achievements, and still capable of surprising an audience decades after Slade’s commercial peak. The Jonathan Ross interview remains a valuable piece of archive footage, capturing a frontman whose voice, wit, and cultural impact extended far beyond chart success.