The long-awaited statue honouring the University of York’s famous mallard duck Long Boi was unveiled live on air this morning at the University during the Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
Presenter Greg James wore a black suit, a duck-patterned tie and a mourning veil as he unveiled the sculpture of the duck at the end of the hour-long ceremony in Central Hall.
Long Boi, a 70cm (27.6 inches) Indian runner cross mallard, became a regular guest on James’ show for his long neck and was announced dead after being missing from campus last May.
Broadcasting live from the University on this Thursday morning, James announced that he never met Britain’s tallest duck and said: “I will regret this for the rest of my days.”
“So thank you Long Boi, thank you for the memes, the memories and the several years of breakfast show content.
We owed you this day.”
The live statue unveiling ceremony took place from 09:00 BST with 800 tickets sold for the event and hundreds of students, staff and donors filling Central Hall.
A minute long silence of quacking was held by the live audience following the unveiling of the statue.
James said: “As you quack please take this time to picture Long Boi, think of your favourite memory of him and think about what kind of world he would want us to leave the duck’s of the future.”
The University’s Sing-Song Society performed a cover of Chappell Roan’s song HOT TO GO (LongBoi’s version) whilst James threw tiny rubber ducks into the crowd.
During the ceremony famous celebrities paid tribute to Long Boi including Andrew Garfield, Jodie Whittaker, Joe Locke and Aimee Lou Wood.
Aimee Lou Wood said: “Long boi you were so tall and so lovely and you will be missed.”
BBC Radio 1 hosts an average of 4.4 million listeners and Joan Concannon, Director of External Relations, said that James mentioned the University every 26 seconds on average during the broadcast.
The statue, which was sculpted by Neil Mason and shipped to Greece for bronze casting, is the second of over 15 statues at the University of York to be made of bronze.
City of York Council approved plans for the statue after a report found that: “The location is significant being where the duck resides and was usually found and fed by local residents, staff and students.”
Long Boi gained an impressive social media following of over 56,000 Instagram followers.
Helena Cox, Art Curator at the University said: “I as the official curator am inviting you all to get hands on with the sculpture and to rub its beak.
If you rub the beak of Long Boi, your essays will sparkle with genius, your exams shall be a breeze and luck will follow you wherever you go.”
James said: “Some people might not get why we are doing this today, they might wonder why everyone put so much time and effort for something that on the service looks silly.
But silly things are important, silly things get us through the day. And look silliness brings us together.”
In an interview with Vision James said: “I would worry if Long Boi came back and understood this, I’m worried that it [the fame] would go to his head.
He would be an influencer.”
James said that he does not think that there will ever be another Long Boi and that himself and Long Boi share in common their tall height.
James said: “We are very long. I wasn’t particularly accepted in school in my pond when I first started and I had to really find my own path like he did.”
The BBC Radio 1 presenter claimed that he possesses a Long Boi jumper, a piece of merchandise sold by the University Student Union.
James said: “It is my favourite hoodie.”
In an interview with Charlie Jeffrey’s, Vice Chancellor of the University, Jeffrey’s said: “What an extraordinary occasion.”
“It’s absolutely heaving with students and it just shows how much he captured the imagination of our students.”
I did have the pleasure of meeting Long Boi on a couple of occasions.
It just went absolutely viral which says something about the sense of community here in York.
In Welcome talks last week, I talked about Long Boi and those who have never seen him still have Long Boi in their hearts.
He [Long Boi] had charisma, he had rizz.”
In a statement on the York SU website, the Student Union said the statue had been “a long time coming.”
Pierrick Roger, Ex York SU President, who started the statue fundraising campaign after the death of the campus celebrity said: “At first I thought I was going to get cancelled for it because well, he’s a duck, but when I put it up I realised the Long Boi community is actually quite strong.
I didn’t expect loads of people to donate.”
Over £5,000 was raised to install a statue in Long Boi’s memory.