McFly ‘thrill’ Port Talbot fan with Down’s syndrome after M4 services meeting

A chance meeting in a motorway services led to a dream moment for a McFly superfan in Swansea.

Clare Cerasuolo bumped into band members at Heston services on the M4 while grabbing snacks on her way home to Port Talbot.

She told them about her son Joel’s love of the band who were due on stage at the Tunes On The Bay festival at Swansea Beach on Friday.

Next came an offer she could not refuse from band members Tom Fletcher, Dougie Poynter, Danny Jones and Harry Judd – free tickets to the show.

But that was not the end of the surprises for Joel – who had previously become a Tik Tok sensation – as the band dedicated a rendition of their hit All About You to the 24-year-old, who has Down’s syndrome.

“I had to pick Joel up early from drama club and I was like ‘Joel l bumped into some people today – Harry, Danny, Dougie’ and he said right away ‘that’s McFly’,” she recalled.

“So I said ‘yes and they have asked us to come along tonight’ and he kept going ‘shut up, shut up’, so he was thrilled and we had to bomb it home and get his McFly t-shirt on.”

Once at the Swansea gig, there was another surprise to come.

“My husband lifted Joel up [on his shoulders] so they could see him and the crowd made a tunnel so we could get to the front,” said Clare.

“They dedicated the song to him and I was just a mess.

“Afterwards Harry gave him one of his drum sticks. We genuinely are McFly fans and I am still feeling overwhelmed with it all.”

Clare said she had previously taken Joel to Southend to see the band, and it took seven hours to get there.

“Every time we go he says I hope we could meet them and the fact he did meet them – well he is still on cloud nine.

“We got to the railings and the guy we met said ‘get down to the gate and we’ll get the guys to meet you’.

“We had a lovely chat. We had a lovely chat with them and they’re really nice guys and made him a massive fuss of Joel.”