Lecce’s season has found an unexpected stage across the Atlantic, with Helen Mirren bringing her affection for the Salento club to American late-night television.
Helen Mirren takes Lecce colours to US television
The 81-year-old British actress appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and turned a discussion about American sports supporters into a brief, comic declaration of loyalty to the Giallorossi.
Fallon had been referring to a survey which named New York Giants followers among the most profane fans in sport. Mirren interrupted, pretending to be irritated by the claim.
“I just heard that story about Giants fans being the most vulgar and it really made me angry,” she said. Her objection, however, was not in defence of the NFL club.
Quick facts
- Helen Mirren spoke about Lecce during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
- The exchange began after a survey concerning the language used by New York Giants supporters.
- Mirren declared herself a devoted Lecce fan and shouted: “Forza Lecce!”
- She jokingly claimed that Lecce supporters, rather than Giants fans, were the most vulgar.
- The actress owns a masseria in Tiggiano and has attended Lecce matches at the stadium.
Mirren told the host that she was “a huge fan of the Italian football team Lecce,” before delivering her support for the club in public. Keeping the joke going, she insisted that Lecce’s followers deserved the unwanted title instead.
She then directed a string of comic insults at Fallon, drawing laughter from the studio audience. The clip quickly circulated online and was shared through channels connected to the Salento side.
Her bond with Lecce is longstanding rather than a television novelty. Mirren has owned a masseria in Tiggiano for years, spends extended periods in the area and has become a familiar high-profile supporter of the club.
For Lecce, whose identity remains closely tied to the Salento territory, the moment offered a small international chapter: the yellow and red colours, and the supporters behind them, briefly carried into one of American television’s biggest studios.
SEO title: Helen Mirren backs Lecce on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show
SEO description: Helen Mirren declared her support for Lecce during an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, joking about the club’s fans and shouting “Forza Lecce.”
