A-list celebrities flocked to Edinburgh in November 2003 for the glitzy MTV Europe Music Awards.
In a 6,000-capacity big top tent in Western Harbour, Christina Aguilera hosted the event with Beyoncé's Crazy in Love snatching the award for best song. Desperate fans queued from the early hours of the morning to scoop up the last remaining tickets for the event.
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Music fans lined the streets hoping for a chance to grab the last remaining 50 tickets to the event, which were previously only available over a telephone hotline and sold out within 14 minutes. Free tickets were also handed out for the MTV in the Gardens concert.
Though for some lucky Edinburgh students, their spot was already secured - having been hired to take the place of some of the stars. To ensure the audience is always looking filled, stand-ins are on hold to pop themselves in the seats of celebs when they need to nip to the loo or run to the bar.
MTV brought in the students to swap in for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake and Pink. Sources from MTV said that the stand-ins were required for the benefit of TV viewers, and avoided any empty seats being seen on camera.
One of the lucky chosen few told The Mirror in 2003: “We’re basically just paid to watch the event and possibly rub shoulders with A-list stars - it's the best job ever.”
The ceremony was broadcast live, to an estimated audience of a billion people worldwide. Justin Timberlake dominated the awards, walking away with awards for best, best male and best pop act.
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Collecting his third award, he told crowds: “This is my first time in Scotland and I just want to say thank you. You don’t get nicer than you people.”
Other wins included Sean Paul for best new act, with Eminem grabbing the best hip hop artist award, and Coldplay winning best group. Around 700 journalists descended on Western Harbour to capture the event.
As for the stand-ins, it turns out they’re commonplace at most award shows. One very famous Scot encountered some confusion with the practice back in 2020.
Lewis Capaldi talked about his first time at the Grammys while appearing on Graham Norton shortly after the ceremony. He told the host: “During it, I was sitting in my chair at my chair at the Grammys and it was lovely - nice chair.
“I was in a good spot, but they have these people who come and sit in the seats when people f*** off for a pee. I got up, and every time someone got up I was at the end.
“People kept getting up and I had to keep standing and sit down. The seats are full of people who come in to make it look busy.
“Then a lady came up to me and said ‘I’ll take the seat now’. I went, ‘whatever do you mean?’
“She asked if it was my seat, and I went ‘Listen, I know I didn’t win the Grammy but I thought i’d be allowed to stay to the end.’”
So if you're ever having a bad day, just think of the poor woman who mistook Lewis Capaldi for a seat filler.
