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US singer Teddy Swims serves lunch with Spudman

Charlotte Benton
BBC News, West Midlands
PJ Ellis
BBC Radio WM
BBC A heavily tattooed man wearing a black apron and round red tinted sunglasses serves food from a street vendor truck. There are people with phones taking photos from in front of the van.BBC
Teddy Swims passed out free jacket potatoes to people in the crowd

What do you eat when you visit a Tik Tok sensation's popular potato van?

That was the dilemma US singer, Teddy Swims, faced on Tuesday when he arrived in Tamworth, Staffordshire, to try his first Spudman potato.

"I had all of them, everything they've got back there, the chilli, the cheese, the slaw the curry," he said.

Hundreds of people gathered around Ben Newman's - aka Spudman - pitch on St Editha's Square to catch a glimpse of the singer as he handed out free potatoes to the crowd and signed autographs from inside the food van.

A heavily tattooed man with a beard and wearing a cap sitting down on a chair in front of a blue car with people stood behind him. He is wearing a black apron over a camel-coloured top and is smiling at the camera. He is holding wooden cutlery in one hand.
Teddy Swims tucks into a potato with "everything they've got back there"

Mr Newman said the singer's team had reached out to him after the US megastar spotted the street vendor's online videos.

"Apparently he's a fan and he was like 'Let's go and see Spudman' so we've been trying to get together since his last tour.

"They rang me at Christmas and said 'we're coming back' and yeah we've managed to get it to work.

"It's amazing, I can't believe it's happening," he added.

A man with a camouflage cap, face tattoos and ear stretcher is holding a jacket potato with beans in a small takeaway container. He is stood inside a food van and there are lots of people in front of the van holding their phones up and taking pictures of the man.
Swim's visit to Tamworth coincides with his two shows at the Utilita Arena, Birmingham

The US singer also treated crowds to a live performance of his chart-topping single, Lose Control, which he sang alongside Telford-based band, Callum & The Pookies.

Speaking to BBC Radio WM, Swims, who is playing at the Utilita Arena Birmingham on Monday and Tuesday, said he is "having in blast" in the city.

"It's my favourite city, my favourite place to be, people are so sweet and it reminds me of home in Georgia, I always say this is like the rednecks of the UK", the singer added.

A heavily tattooed man passes a cardboard box with food containers in to lady with long, black hair. A man with a pink mohawk is standing next to him with his hands on his hips. They are both wearing black aprons as they are in a street vendor truck.
TikTok sensation Ben Newman - aka Spudman - said he "couldn't believe" that Teddy wanted to visit

Mr Newman said he had been working in the food van since 04:00 GMT to prepare for the big visit, but it was going to be a day of two halves.

"Teddy's come to us today and we're going to him this evening, I get to go to his gig in Birmingham and hopefully hang out with him", he added.

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