Cynthia Erivo has revealed why she and Ariana Grande have broken down in tears on so many occasions while promoting Wicked.

The pair have been travelling the globe to promote their role in the long-awaited adaptation of the Broadway Musical, and in a new interview, Cynthia admitted they get ‘very emotional’ while talking about the film.

Speaking on the Heart Breakfast show, Amanda Holden told Cynthia: ‘Every interview I’ve read Cynthia of you and Ariana, it just says that you end up in tears all the time.’

She said: ‘We do! And I think it’s because people have come in with such energy and they come in, their responses, their emotional responses come into the room with us, it’s the first time we’ve been able to talk about it, so we’re both reliving and rehashing all the things we’ve been through and the journey we’ve been on. 

‘We can’t help it, we get very emotional about it.’

Amanda added: ‘Yeah, I don’t blame you. You went through COVID, you went through strikes, there was all kind of obstacles to overcome to make this movie.’

Cynthia Erivo has revealed why she and Ariana Grande have broken down in tears on so many occasions while promoting Wicked

Cynthia then went onto say: ‘In fact, the very last song was filmed after the strike, so we were meant to finish and we couldn’t meet, ended up stopping and six months later finished with that.’

Wicked: Part One finally hit cinemas on Friday, and the second part is set to be released on November 21, 2025.

The two-part feature is adapted from the long-running and much-loved Broadway and West End musical.

Early reviews from cinema goers have been positive, with many saying the film brought them to tears and they will ‘never be the same’. 

Taking to X, fans said of the film: ‘I was sobbing’… ‘I will never get over these two [Cynthia and Ariana]’.

‘This broke me!’… ‘I will never be the same’… ‘This had me tearing up, they ate this so bad, I want pat 2 NOW’… ‘I cried’. 

Meanwhile, reviews have already poured in from critics as they, for the most part, praise the leading stars’ performances. 

Yet while some reviews have branded the film a ‘fabulous spectacle’ others have declared: ‘it doesn’t come close to defying gravity’.   

The pair have been travelling the globe to promote their role in the long-awaited adaptation of the Broadwa musical

Speaking on Heart Breakfast alongside Jonathan Bailey, Cynthia admitted she and Ariana get ‘very emotional’ when discussing the film 

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw described it as a ‘sugar-rush fantasy with the overpowering star presence of Cynthia Erivo; it basically dunks you face-down in a hyperreal ball pit of M&Ms for two and three-quarter hours.’

Praising Cynthia’s performance he added: ‘Erivo’s charismatic Elphaba exerting a planetary pull over a star-studded cast’.

The Daily Mail’s Brian Viner writes: ‘It’s a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.’ 

A huge fan of the casting choice he added: ‘Erivo and Grande are both pitch-perfect and altogether sensational. 

Read More Wicked fan reviews: Emotional Wicked viewers left in tears after moving scene in Ariana Grande movie

‘I confess to finding Wicked’s songs a little repeтιтive but it’s hard to imagine anyone delivering them better than those two, while Grande has proper comedic flair, which she brings to bear every time Glinda tosses her luxuriant tresses.

‘Yeoh, Bailey and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard offer splendid support.’

Peter Debruge of Variety praised: ‘Unlike several recent tuners, which tried to hide their musical dimension from audiences, Wicked embraces its idenтιтy the way Elphaba does her emerald skin. 

‘Turns out such confidence makes all the difference in how they’re perceived.’

Dave Fear of Rolling Stone wrote: ‘When Erivo nails that moment and rides into Oz’s history books on a broomstick, for a split second you feel like there’s no place you’d rather be than riding alongside her. Not even home.’ as he added: ‘Erivo is the one truly defying gravity’

Meanwhile The Independent praised Ariana and Cynthia’s performance, but felt the pair were let down by the actual cinematography of the film. 

Critic Reviews on Wicked

The Guardian

Peter Bradshaw described it as a ‘sugar-rush fantasy with the overpowering star presence of Cynthia Erivo; it basically dunks you face-down in a hyperreal ball pit of M&Ms for two and three-quarter hours.’

The Daily Mail 

Brian Viner praised: ‘It’s a fabulous spectacle, which demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible’.

The Independent 

Clarisse Loughrey praised Ariana and Cynthia’s performance, but felt the pair were let down by the actual cinematography of the film, as she likened it to a TV advert. 

Variety

Peter Debruge praised: ‘Unlike several recent tuners, which tried to hide their musical dimension from audiences, Wicked embraces its idenтιтy the way Elphaba does her emerald skin.’

Rolling Stone

David Fear added: ‘When Erivo nails that moment and rides into Oz’s history books on a broomstick, for a split second you feel like there’s no place you’d rather be than riding alongside her. Not even home.’

The Telegraph 

Robbie Collins gave the movie a scathing review as he claimed that the film’s leading actresses ‘don’t come close to defying gravity in this bloated, beige screen adaptation of the Wizard of Oz prequel’. 

BBC

Nicholas Barber wrote: ‘The film ends with a song called Defying Gravity, so it’s only fair to say that that’s precisely what Wicked doesn’t manage to achieve’.