Nicole Scherzinger: I nearly spoke up when a phone interrupted Sunset Boulevard

Scherzinger, who plays the reluctantly ageing screen star Norma Desmond, said she was sorely tempted in the moment to ad-lib a line in response to the interruption.

She told talkshow host Seth Meyers: "I swear, it took everything in me not to say: ‘Just us. And the cellphones...’ But I held it together."

Although Scherzinger said "it’s not that often" that mobiles ring out, on another occasion a theatregoer allowed their phone to sound for long enough that she almost broke character to ask: "Do you wanna get that?"

Appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Scherzinger discussed her initial surprise at being offered the part in Jamie Lloyd’s celebrated production – admitting "this role was not the dream" – and the difference between Broadway and West End audiences.

Scherzinger called London theatre fans more "reserved" than their US counterparts, adding: "Here, on Broadway, the American audience wants you to know how they feel... it gives me my superpowers."

At the Olivier Awards last year, Scherzinger lifted the gong for best actress in a musical, with Sunset Boulevard overall taking home seven wins.

The revival continues to run on Broadway, having opened there in October 2024.