Traffic reporter nails another Beyoncé segment ahead of Philly show
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Queen She is back with another Queen B installment. Photo courtesy of Sheila Watko
Beyoncé's "Renaissance World Tour" kicks off its American leg in Philly today with no opening acts. Well, except for Sheila Watko.
What's happening: Watko, the NBC10 traffic reporter whose punnylicious Beyoncé-inspired segment went viral last year, was back at it this morning with a sequel ahead of the superstar's Philadelphia performance.
Why it matters: Fans like Watko have been preparing for Queen Bey's arrival for weeks, celebrating Philly's influence on her latest album.
The intrigue: Watko has been directing traffic far longer than her four years at the station. Once a 21-year-old college grad, she learned how to perform when guiding riverboat tours through the treacherous waters of Disney World's "Jungle Cruise."
Talk about stage freight! There was no audition. She was handed a script and given days to memorize a boatload of punchlines.
- She once did 32 tours in a single day, and the self-described "goody two-shoes" even broke script a couple times with her own one-liners when the bosses weren't looking.
Catch up quick: Watko traded in those trademark high-waisted khaki cargo shorts for snazzier outfits and a bigger audience.
- She broke the internet last year by packing in more than a dozen Queen B references during a traffic report that had colleagues dying with laughter.
- She did the live spot without a teleprompter, a feat that got kudos from Beyonce's mother.
Being a renaissance woman, Watko reinvented herself this morning with another traffic report "Thique" with references from Bey's "Renaissance" album.
- Don't worry. If you missed it, she's sharing the clip on her Twitter later.
What they're saying: "Sequels are always tough. It's never better than the original. If I can make my coworkers laugh and make my mom laugh, that'll be enough for me," says Watko, who had stints at the "Late Night with Seth Meyers" and "The Late Show with David Letterman."
Not fond of goodbyes, she once impressed Meyers with a farewell rendition of "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang on her last day.
- She was a regular Edward Lear before that, writing personalized limericks on friends' birthday cards.
Some of Watko's favorite Beyoncé songs include "Love on Top," and "Cuff It," so she wasn't going to let this moment pass without a nod to the cultural icon.
- "It was meant to be," she said. "I can't not honor her."