Can a Robot Replace Ed Sheeran?

Don’t adjust your glasses…

You did read it correctly. Recently BBC Radio 1 posed the question, “Can A Robot Replace Ed Sheeran?” in their BBC iPlayer documentary of the same name. With the BBC’s textbook impartiality, presenter Greg James took a completely neutral view as to whether Ed Sheeran should be replaced by a robot. We, however, are far more convinced of its potential benefits. Greg consulted robotics rock star Noel Sharkey and promptly Greg grabbed himself a RoboThespian as the likely candidate to replace Ed.

Diva Interview

RoboThespians are nothing without personality, and this one (Boris) is particularly cheeky. This was highlighted in the documentary when he was asked by Greg “Do you like Ed Sheeran?”. We won’t give away any spoilers. But he was very cheeky indeed. If you want to find out what he said, the interview starts at 4’40”.

Rock Solid Performance

The beauty of RoboThespian is that he is both a technological marvel and rock solid in his reliability. This was proven on the day of recording. There were many location changes and set ups throughout the day. Meaning that robot had to be broken apart and transported from location to location. Then set up quickly and be ready to perform when the camera crew were ready. Because this isn’t RoboThespian’s first time in the big time, he handled it like a pro. This contrasts with the fantastic Robotic orchestra. Although a truly wonderful thing, it proved to be unreliable. With last minute hiccups meaning the team behind it had to pull an “all nighter” to make sure it went ahead. Whereas Mark had no such worries and turned up to the shoot, well rested and calm.