Legendary 70s rock band bump into Jeremy Clarkson at airport

The Sweet are a British glam‑rock band formed in London in 1968, originally under the name The Sweetshop before shortening it to The Sweet.

Their classic line‑up featured lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bassist Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Mick Tucker, and they became one of the defining glam acts of the 1970s.

The band’s breakthrough came after teaming up with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and producer Phil Wainman, scoring their first hit in 1971 with “Funny, Funny.”

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Across the decade they racked up a string of chart singles, including “Co‑Co,” “Hell Raiser,” “Blockbuster!” “The Ballroom Blitz,” “Teenage Rampage,” “Fox on the Run” and “Love Is Like Oxygen.”

Their sound fused big guitar riffs with stacked vocal harmonies and pop hooks, helping them sell more than 35 million records worldwide and influence later rock bands from Def Leppard to Mötley Crüe.

Although the original group split in 1981, guitarist Andy Scott still fronts a contemporary version of The Sweet, touring globally and releasing new material such as the 2024 album Full Circle.

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The current line‑up of The Sweet is led by original guitarist Andy Scott, alongside Paul Manzi on lead vocals, Lee Small on bass, Tom Cory on keyboards and guitar, and Adam Booth on drums.

A post on The Sweet’s official Facebook included a photograph of guitarist Andy Scott with Mr Clarkson at the airport.

The caption read: “Jeremy Clarkson. It’s amazing who you meet in the 1st Wing at Heathrow. I’m a huge fan, and it seems he’s a bit of a Sweet fan!”

Mr Clarkson lives in Oxfordshire and runs both Diddly Squat Farm and The Farmer’s Dog pub in the county.