Backstage at NBC’s Today show, Daniel Radcliffe completely flipped the script and fangirled Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu instead of the other way round. Liu, fresh off becoming the first American woman in 24 years to win Olympic singles gold in women’s figure skating, gasped “Oh my Lord” when he walked into the green room, clutching her medals. Radcliffe immediately told her he’d been “obsessed” with her performances during the Games and that watching her skate had been one of the purest joys of his TV‑watching life.
In video shared by Today and People, Liu tries to hand over one of her golds so he can wear it for their selfie, but Radcliffe awkwardly laughs and refuses, saying it would feel like “stolen valor” to actually put it round his neck. He settles for holding the medal while they pose together, visibly star‑struck in a way fans are more used to seeing from Potterheads than from Radcliffe himself. The moment has since been clipped and shared widely on social media, with viewers calling it a rare example of a child star and a Gen‑Z champion genuinely geeking out over each other in real time.
The crossover also underlined just how big Liu’s win has become beyond the sports pages, pushing her further into mainstream American pop culture. For Radcliffe, who was on the show to promote his latest theatre project, the backstage encounter ended up overshadowing his actual segment as outlets like People rushed to recap the sweet exchange. You can see the full interaction and selfies in People’s piece on their Today show meet‑cute.
