Why was Olivia Rodrigo in a Welsh seaside town?

By BBC (Entertainment) | Created at 2024-11-22 16:07:20 | Updated at 2024-11-23 12:14:03 21 hours ago
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Rose Ann Bituon-Thomas US pop star Olivia Rodrigo takes a selfie with a Llandudno resident. Olivia Rodrigo is on the left and is smiling. Rose is on the right is smiling and is wearing brown framed glasses.Rose Ann Bituon-Thomas

Olivia Rodrigo was snapped by Marks & Spencer worker Rose Ann Bituon-Thomas at their store in Llandudno

Singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has been snapped out and about in a north Wales seaside town.

The 21-year-old US pop star, famous for hits including Drivers License and Good 4 U, was snapped while shopping in Marks & Spencer in Llandudno.

"She's been walking around Llandudno for weeks," said Marks & Spencer worker, Rose Ann Bituon-Thomas, who took a selfie with Rodrigo.

"She told me that she's been having a good time."

Ms Bituon-Thomas said: "We saw her last Tuesday just walking around the store wearing a scarf."

"I said 'can I help you?' and she just smiled.

"Then yesterday [Thursday], she came to my conveyor belt - she's so natural. No bodyguards whatsoever. I just talked to her.

"The first thing I said to her was 'kumusta' which means 'hello' in Filipino."

Rodrigo is half-Filipino and identifies as Filipino-American.

"Because she's half-Filipino, she lit up," said Ms Bituon-Thomas.

"It's one of those things where you try to connect with someone.

"She was very welcoming and talking so calmly. We had a normal conversation, she seemed very relaxed with me, so I did ask if I could have a selfie with her and she was very happy to have one with me."

But what was she doing in Llandudno?

Her Instagram reveals recent snaps from a visit to London, with Rodrigo pictured alongside fellow singer-songwriter Conan Gray and Agatha All Along star Joe Locke on the London Underground.

Rodrigo's boyfriend, actor Louis Partridge, was born and raised in London, but according to locals, has previously spent time in Llandudno with his Welsh family.

"His family has been travelling around Llandudno and north Wales," Ms Bituon-Thomas said.

"It's such a beautiful place. When he was young, his family came here for their holidays. So, he was just showing her around north Wales."

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Partridge himself is known for his roles in Paddington 2 and Enola Holmes, where he starred as Viscount Tewkesbury opposite Millie Bobby Brown.

"Olivia Rodrigo visiting our store was not on our 2024 bingo card," said a spokesperson for M&S Parc Llandudno on Facebook.

The couple were also spotted together at several local bars and restaurants, including Da Venezia.

"They've been going to some of the restaurants in the town every single night," said Bituon-Thomas.

"She actually sang Happy Birthday in Da Venezia, one of the Italian restaurants, but the people in the restaurant didn't recognise her."

Rodrigo is currently one of the biggest names in pop music, with a sell-out tour in 2025 and has a headline appearance at BST Hyde Park on 27 June 2025.

"I think she had a really good time," said Ms Ms Bituon-Thomas.

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