Adele’s love for her hometown runs deep: in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, the singer visited some of the city’s firefighters for a “cup of tea and a cuddle” to thank them for their work tackling the deadly blaze.
Fireman Rob Petty posted about the star’s impromptu meeting with the team at Chelsea Fire Station on Monday on his Facebook page.
Petty said Adele, who posed for photos with firefighters at the station and in front of one of their fire trucks, “wonderfully grounded and caring.”
“She just turned up at the station and knocked on the window and said she has some cakes for us,” station manager Ben King said in a statement.
“We opened the door to her and she took her sunglasses off and said: ‘Hi, I’m Adele,'” he recalled. “Everyone was so shocked.”
Adele also joined the firefighters in a minute’s silence for the victims of the fire, observed across the UK.
London Fire Brigade and the city’s other emergency personnel have been praised by politicians, locals and celebrities alike for their efforts during the Grenfell Tower fire, which left at least 79 people dead or missing, presumed dead.
Anger and protests at the government and local authorities’ handling of the tragedy have followed, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan calling the fire “a horrific incident.”
Fellow singer Rita Ora also commented on the Grenfell Tower tragedy, posting on Instagram: “This is my neigbourhood … I used to play in that block. I want to do all I can do to help.”