Tina Arena’s Champs Élysées Serenade: The Anthem, The Aussie Win, and the Shot I Had to Take

Cadel Evans had finally done it. After years of near misses, heartbreaks, crashes and sheer stubborn resilience, he became the first Australian to win the Tour de France. Paris felt different that day. There was a quiet hum running through the Australian contingent, a mix of disbelief, pride and the sense that we were witnessing something that would be replayed for decades. And then Tina Arena stepped onto the Champs Élysées to sing Advance Australia Fair. It was the cherry on top, a moment so perfect it looked planned, polished and pre-approved. Except it was not. Not even close.

I was there filming for Fox Sports News with Scott McGrory, who had an Olympic gold medal from Sydney 2000 in the Madison. We were weaving through the backstage maze trying to grab whatever reactions we could when we spotted Tina Arena. She had just finished singing and she was still buzzing, emotional and completely unfiltered.

Backstage was a blur of riders, officials, media and the usual Tour de France chaos. And then we saw her again, still glowing from the anthem she had just belted out in front of the world. What made it wild was knowing that none of this had been organised. In the interview she gave us, the only one she did after singing, she told the story with this beautiful mix of pride, adrenaline and disbelief.

She told us she had woken up that morning with a dream and a feeling she could not ignore. She said she had sat with it for a moment and then thought, I am doing this. She picked up the phone and called the Tour de France organisers herself. No manager. No agent. No formal request. Just Tina Arena in Paris saying she wanted to sing the Australian national anthem because she knew Cadel had won.

She said, “I just went for it. I rang a couple of people and said I want to sing because I know Cadel has won.” She explained that the Tour had never done anything like this before. No winner had ever had their anthem performed on the Champs Élysées. She said it with this mix of pride and disbelief, as if she was still processing the fact that they had said yes.

She spoke about how special it felt as an Australian living in France. She said she felt privileged to live in such a beautiful city and to work in a cultural world that connected both countries. She talked about how Cadel’s win would strengthen the ties between Australia and France, how many French people were now calling Australia home and how proud she felt to represent her country on a day like this. She said, “It makes me really proud. It is amazing for the profile of Australia and amazing for the ties between both countries culturally.”

She also spoke about Cadel himself. She had seen him backstage and said he was emotional, and that he had every right to be. She talked about the knocks and blows he had taken over the years, the ups and downs that come with any great career. She said, “Anybody who can live with that, who can endure that, is a champion.” It was clear she meant it.

When we wrapped the interview, I figured I would take a swing. I said, “Hey, we are throwing a party tonight to celebrate with all the Australians, do you want to come?” She burst out laughing, patted me on the back and said, “Guys, I am past those glory days. Enjoy the evening, I will be getting an early night.” It was warm, cheeky and very Tina.

As we walked away, Scott looked at me like I had just tried to recruit her for a karaoke night. “I cannot believe you asked Tina Arena to the afterparty,” he said, half horrified and half impressed. I shrugged and gave him the only answer that made sense. “Mate, you miss 100 percent of the shots you do not take.”

That is what sticks with me about that day. Not just Cadel in yellow. Not just the anthem echoing down the Champs Élysées. But the feeling that everyone, athletes, artists, broadcasters and fans, was part of something bigger than themselves. A spontaneous, emotional, beautifully Australian moment in the heart of Paris, tied together by pride, instinct and the courage to take a few shots along the way.