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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Katie Williams

The time a Midlothian bartender achieved global stardom with unfortunate mishap

A famous clip from the 90s has re-emerged as locals remember the time it featured on none other than ITV's You've Been Framed.

Mairi Duncan was working in the Unicorn bar in Dalkeith, Midlothian in 1997 for Princess Diana's funeral when a colleague opened the trap door to go to and from the cellar.

Bust serving punters, Mairi failed to notice leading to the inevitable blooper. She stepped back and plummeted straight down - with the whole thing caught on CCTV.

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The slapstick accident was shown on You've Been Framed after it was submitted by an employee who received £250 in cash. Old Midlothian Memory Lane has recently shared the clip again as locals remember the fame it brought to the pub.

The NZ Herald previously reported that her brother confirmed that while Mairi never saw a penny, the staff member did put the money behind the bar.

However it wasn't all bad for the barmaid, after the clip went viral on Youtube in 2007, 10 years after the fall, and her presence was requested in Hollywood.

Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live she said: "I remember it quite clearly. I was serving someone while watching a TV above the bar. Princess Diana's funeral procession was on the TV so I was distracted by that.

"I finished serving the customer and took his £20 and took a step back. The next thing I was at the bottom of the stairs on the concrete floor. It's a 14ft drop but I was in such shock that I didn't really feel much.

"When I got back up, I was still clutching the £20 note. But when I looked in the mirror later, I had a bruise from my shoulder to my ankle."

Luckily, the bad bruise was the extent of the mother-of-one's injuries. Sadly the Unicorn is no longer open in Dalkeith, but it will certainly be remembered.

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