Endless love? What Diana Ross thinks of Sheffield

Diana Ross became a global treasure after emerging with the Supremes, the best-selling female group of all time, before her legendary solo career.

Much has been publicly recorded, over the decades, about the “other Princess Diana”.

Except perhaps that she once fell in love with Sheffield!

She said as much in a meeting with the city's own Monty Python and travel show veteran, Sir Michael Palin.

And it left a huge impression on the former Birkdale School and Sheffield United fan.

In a recent podcast hosted by Rob Brydon Sir Michael, now aged 80, recalls his time in New York hosting the Saturday Night Live television comedy and satire show.

Its creator Lorne Michaels liked to encourage contributors to hit the town after the show.

And Sir Michael enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the likes of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and Martha and the Vandellas.

One night he was told that “Diana may drop in” to join the revellery.

He couldn't quite believe his luck when it turned out to be true.

“There we were having a meal with Diana Ross” he said, recalling the moments he spent trying to think of what conversation he could charm her with.

“I am from Sheffield” he hesitatingly offered during an awkward pause.

Remarkably, it seemed to chime with the singer of such huge hits as Chain Reaction, Endless Love, and Upside Down.

The now 79-year-old diva was “only interested in Sheffield” rather than Palin's landmark work in Python and other shows, he said.

“‘Great city, great city’” Diana gushed, adding: “I love your museums!”

Ms Ross isn't exactly a frequent visitor to Sheffield.

But she starred at Sheffield Arena in her “30th anniversary tour” of 1994 and again in the ‘This is It’ tour in 2004.

Ranmoor-born Sir Michael said Diana wasn't the only superstar to have shown interest in him, his career and background.

He had been proud to discover that Elvis Presley had loved Python and recalls meeting Johnny Cash in a TV studio green room.

The American country singer-songwriter arrowed in on him and simply uttered: “John Cash: Big Fan.”

Palin said they were four words that had resounded in his life ever since.

The South Yorkshireman, whose first acting role at Birkdale was playing Martha Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, also spoke candidly about the death of his wife Helen.

She passed away through kidney failure in May, having decided to forgo dialysis.

Brydon suggested on the podcast that his guest was at “a new and very distinct phase in your life.”

Sir Michael agreed: “I have to find a new way of adjusting the ship, it is a bit rudderless.

“After 57 years I have been part of Helen and Mike - that was it we were, just together - and suddenly there is no one steadying the other side of the ship."

He was helped by his friends: “They can be very comforting.”

The actor and author, who was knighted by the Queen in 2019, is happy that his three children live nearby but described “an empty space which I have got to work out how I can fill.”

Sir Michael will always retain a soft spot for Sheffield.

He once said: “Whilst I’ve lived in London for over 50 years, I believe Sheffield defines me. I think anywhere you spend the first 10, 15 years of your life is going to define you, whether you like it or not.”