Come with Us to Trisha Paytas’ BriTrish Invasion at The Royal Albert Hall
Photos: Jenny Arrowsmith
Any mystery surrounding the UK heatwave this bank holiday weekend has been solved - Trisha Paytas brought the Los Angeles sun with her to London for the BriTrish Invasion. Sunday night’s show at the Royal Albert Hall marked Paytas’ first UK appearance since she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2017, which saw her quit the show after an 11-day stint. The beloved YouTube sensation and all-round internet sweetheart reassured her audience early on, however, that there would be no repeat of her dramatic reality TV exit. She was totally locked in for a night of show tune covers and K-pop bops.
Whilst circling the arena before the doors opened, I met more pink patrons than I ever have. Dozens of fans had taken it upon themselves to make bootleg merchandise plastered with some of Paytas’ most viral moments and infamous one-liners. As as long-time fan, I immediately recognised Trisha’s dad weaving through the crowds. He was easy to spot in his bedazzled ‘Paytas’ American football jersey, which he told me he’d been gifted by his daughter for his 70th birthday.
Following her 2025 broadway run in Beetlejuice, Paytas opened with a cover of Steven Sondheim’s ‘Worst Pies in London’ from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in her uncanny cockney accent. With 40-inch platinum hair and a glittering pink Union Jack dress, her live singing debut was an instant hit. One security guard I was standing by even said her’s was the loudest audience he’d ever heard at the venue. After a fleeting rendition of Wicked’s ‘Popular’, Trisha mentioned she had hoped to see Jonathon Bailey wandering the streets of Knightsbridge - sadly to no avail. The performance’s set list included ‘Shallow’ from A Star is Born (with Trisha singing both Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s parts), her 2017 hit ‘Freaky’, and her new song ‘사랑해 Saranghae’ (I Love You) which charted at #2 in the K-pop charts.
The second act was introduced by an animated cameo from Trisha’s daughter Malibu Barbie - who the internet penned as Queen Elizabeth II’s reincarnation when she was born days after the British monarch passed away in 2022. Coincidently, her Royal Albert Hall gig fell on Trisha’s second daughter’s 2nd birthday. As a devoted mother, she was initially reluctant to miss the occasion but her unconditionally supportive husband, Moses Hacmon, told her she simply had to go and do this show, while he covered childcare and birthday duty from across the pond. It may well be lost on her at age two, but having an arena of 5,000 adoring fans sing happy birthday to you over TikTok will surely be something Elvis Paytas-Hacmon grows up to cherish.
Paytas’ talents far exceed her glittering music career, having thrown her hat in the ring for everything from fast talking on America’s Got Talent to ASMR role-play and OnlyFans. As one of the most memed internet personalities, she’s always had unique gift for overcoming any kind of scandal and bouncing back more loveable than before - she just refuses to be cancelled. Many of her more controversial moments were born out of a well documented mental health crisis - more lovingly referred to as her ‘Crying on the Kitchen Floor’ era (which has now been honoured with its own song and memoir by the same name). As ‘memeable’ as this period was, for a lot of fans including myself, Trisha’s raw struggle represents a true human ability to make it through the darkest of times. In a more moving and tender segment, Trisha spoke candidly about coming through the other side of a deep depression whilst searching for your purpose, and the powers of manifesting a peaceful, content life. She served the crowd a powerful reminder that whatever it is you’re chasing could be coming to you tomorrow, in a week or in her case, when you’re 38. This poignant sentiment was marked by an emotional tribute to ‘Story of My Life’ by One Direction (which Trisha wasn’t sure if anyone would know), accompanied by a montage of her life in videos.
Her encore finale was received with a standing ovation, after she performed a medley of legendary British songs including ‘Spice Up Your Life’, ‘Let It Be’, ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’ and finally, ‘You’ll Be Back’ as sung by King George III in the musical Hamilton. Filtering out of the venue, I overheard a giddy fan on FaceTime say ‘Girl, the ticket was like £50 but it was honestly worth £200’, and I couldn’t agree more. That might even be a lowball. The number 9 bus ride home, alive with echoes of the fan favourite ‘I love you Jesus’, is something I’ll never forget.
Long Live The Mukbang Queen.
