No longer babies! Nearly 11 years after pint-sized singing sensations Sophia Grace Brownlee and Rosie McClelland first appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, they reunited with the daytime host ahead of her series finale.
“I know, it’s strange, isn’t it? It’s really weird,” Ellen DeGeneres said in a Wednesday, May 11, clip from the show. “It must feel weird to walk out. … Like, I haven’t seen that [montage of your best moments] at all. I mean, you were little girls.”
British cousins Sophia Grace, now 19, and Rosie, now 15, initially appeared on an October 2011 episode of the 64-year-old Finding Dory star’s eponymous talk show after a video they made recreating Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” went viral. At just 8 and 5 years old, respectively, Sophia Grace and Rosie became household names thanks to their larger-than-life personalities, shiny tiaras and fluffy pink tutus. They went on to make 30 appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the studio and as red carpet correspondents.
“As a child, I always used to dress up, like play dress up, so did me and Rosie,” Sophia Grace told DeGeneres, noting that Rosie’s mom, Danielle McClelland, had the idea to film the girls’ impromptu performance after they’d frequently sing around the house. “And then everything else happened.”
Rosie even recalled her favorite show memory — when Justin Bieber kissed her on the cheek at the Kids’ Choice Awards. She added: “Obviously, at the time, I was like ‘[Ew,] a boy is kissing me on the cheek’ and now I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I let Justin Bieber kiss me on the cheek.’”
During the girls’ first appearance on the show, they gave DeGeneres’ studio audience a taste of their now-viral music video — alongside the “Starships” songstress, now 39, herself. Coming full circle, they sang “Super Bass” again in the Wednesday clip with their “original props” of princess-themed recorders and wands.
The cousins’ nostalgic appearance aired during the final season of DeGeneres’ talk show, which is set to conclude later this month.
“I promise you that we’re going to have a fantastic final season,” the Seriously I’m Kidding author said during a May 2021 episode. “It will be a season where I truly get to say, ‘Thank you. Thank you all.’ Every day will be a celebration. There will be a lot of surprises, there will be trips down memory lane, and a few detours through ‘Why Did I Wear That?’ alley.”
Ahead of their The Ellen DeGeneres Show return, both Sophia Grace and Rosie have not given up their musical pursuits.
“I’m focusing on my music at the moment,” Sophia Grace revealed on Wednesday. “I actually have a new single that’s just come out called ‘Little Things’ and the music video’s also just come out.”
Rosie, for her part, has followed in her older cousin’s footsteps, releasing her own debut single: “Stay.” She explained: “I’m loving music at the moment and focusing on that.”
