Harry Styles revealed which Radiohead song that he lost his virginity to as he introduced their lead singer Thom York at the 2026 Novello Awards.
The former One Direction singer introduced Yorke with a five minute speech at the event, which saw him share on particularly intimate detail.
Sharing the detail during the speech, Styles revealed: "I lost my virginity to the intro to ‘Talk Show Host".
He also joked that he was born the year after Radiohead's debut album, Pablo Honey, which was met with laughter at the idea of a young man calling attention to the age difference.
“Just going to let that sink", he said, which was met with increased laughter.
Prior to presenting Yorke with his Fellowship award at the event, Styles also said: “It’s always nerve-wracking stepping onto a stage, but to know that a man I’ve spent so much of my life listening to is now listening to me talk to you about him is a truly terrifying honor".
Check out Harry Styles' speech in full below.
“Thom Yorke has always had a way with words
Over his almost 35 years of releasing music, he has taken feelings of anxiety and alienation, and turned them into atmospheres, anthems and art. From guitars to glitches, he has time and time again shown us what the future sounds like. Never compromising, a restless creative, an artist in its truest form. There are no two songs that sound alike.
For so many of us, he lives atop this magical music mountain that we’re all attempting to climb.
Some of you had Radiohead albums at the time they were released. Their debut album came out the year before I was born. [laughter] Just gonna let that sink. [more laughter]
So, I discovered their songs over time growing up inhaling the secondhand teenage angst from up the stairs separating my sister’s bedroom from where I sat below doing my homework.
Thank you to my uncle Michael for burning her numerous CDs to try to convince her of some of what he referred to as some of the weirdest stuff.
I found them again at parties [and] in treasured moments alone.
I lost my virginity to “Talk Show Host.” [laughter] I lost my virginity to the intro of “Talk Show Host.” [more laughter]
Thom’s work is music that is felt. It’s always been somewhat of a religious experience to me. Religious in the sense that understanding seemed to go both ways.
I always felt I could uniquely understand the writer of these songs, and at last someone was capturing what it feels like at times to be human. Thank God, someone would think that, I used to think. That alien, that prowling ghost, that angry prophet, Thom Yorke".
I cannot overstate how his work has influenced my belief in the purpose of the arts in our world today, and I cannot overstate how much his work continues to influence me.
Without ‘Exit Music,’ there would be no “Watermelon Sugar.” Imagine that. [laughter] A world without that song [playing off the laughter].
Now, it’s always nerve-wracking stepping onto a stage, but to know that a man I’ve spent so much of my life listening to is now listening to me talk to you about him is a truly terrifying honor. The first time I met Thom, I was walking in the street in Rome. The previous evening at dinner, listening to The Smiles’ “Bending Hectic,” my friend had asked me if I’d ever met him, and I said that I hadn’t. Maybe it was better that way. I’d always been worried that he might be mean to me and emotionally I would never recover.
The next day, ‘A Moon Shaped Pool’ playing in my headphones. I found myself alone with him on a quiet cobbled street.
“Hello, Mr. Yorke,” I said. “Oh, it’s you. Hello,” he replied. I was overwhelmed during our conversations. Our time with giants is not to be squandered. The weight of the moments with the men who have made us is to be noticed. He was light, he was friendly and he was kind".
In a world where outside noise tends to leak into our awareness without permission, among our resented desire to please, a small kindness extended to you by a hero can be enough to release you. I beamed, and I’ve been beaming ever since".
The wizard was also a human".
When asking Thom’s friends to describe him in three words, they said he was compassionate, sensitive, devoted, bold, unique, untouchable, challenging, true punk, Not For Sale, or as his wife shared me, holidays with synthesizer".
To quote Thom, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Your mouth moves only with someone’s hand up your ass. Has the light cut out for you? Because the light’s gone out for me.” It is the 21st century. The message is clear. Commit to your humor and your heartbreak. Only cowards meet our complicated, beautiful world with distance.
It’s an honor to be here tonight to present Thom with this recognition of his enduring influence on British music. Radiohead is my favorite band. Thank you Thom forever".
Earlier this year, Harry Styles also revealed that it was seeing Radiohead live which inspired him to tour again. More on this from Nova here.
